RASC News Agency: The Taliban’s local authorities in Badakhshan have imposed a strict ban on marriages between Sunni women and Shia men, declaring such unions religiously impermissible. Sources indicate that this move is part of a broader campaign aimed at deepening sectarian divisions in the region. According to reliable sources, Mullah Jumma Khan Fateh, a senior Taliban official in Badakhshan, has issued an official directive to residents of the Darwaz and Nasi districts, strictly prohibiting them from marrying their daughters to Shia men or allowing their sons to wed Shia women.
A resident of Darwaz, speaking under the pseudonym Amin, told RASC, “Mullah Jumma Khan has explicitly declared that marriages between Sunni women and Shia men are strictly forbidden and considered absolutely haram. He has even warned that those who violate this decree will face imprisonment.” In a formal letter issued on Sunday, February 9, to residents of several villages, Mullah Jumma Khan reaffirmed that members of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama’ah (Sunni Islam) are strictly prohibited from engaging in any marital unions with Shia followers. The letter further justified this prohibition on religious and ideological grounds, with the Taliban claiming that their decision aligns with their interpretation of Islamic principles.
Amin further disclosed that this is not the first time the Taliban have enforced such sectarian restrictions. Previously, Taliban officials warned that if a Sunni woman were found to have married a Shia man, her family members would face severe punishment. This development follows a recent crackdown on religious minorities, during which Mullah Jumma Khan forcibly coerced 25 Ismaili Muslims into renouncing their faith, marking yet another escalation in the Taliban’s ongoing campaign of religious persecution.
