RASC News Agency: Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada has called for greater reverence toward religious scholars, urging Afghanistani clerics to play a more active role in promoting Taliban policies and resolving societal disputes. In a recent meeting with the Uruzgan Scholars’ Council, he emphasized their duty in fostering unity, maintaining social order, and ensuring the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic governance prevails. According to a statement issued on Wednesday, February 26, by Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, Mullah Hibatullah met with religious scholars and tribal elders in Uruzgan Province to assess regional conditions and discuss the role of the clergy in shaping Afghanistani society under Taliban rule.
During the meeting, Mullah Hibatullah underscored the importance of clerics leading the resolution of local disputes and taking proactive steps to educate communities in accordance with Taliban-endorsed Islamic principles. He insisted that now is an opportune time for religious scholars to deepen their engagement in religious outreach, social cohesion, and the implementation of Taliban directives. In a striking analogy, Mullah Hibatullah likened clerics to the sun, portraying them as the illuminating force responsible for spreading the Taliban’s ideology and guiding the people. Abdul Ghafar Sahib, head of the Uruzgan Scholars’ Council, provided a comprehensive report on the province’s situation and reaffirmed the council’s commitment to enforcing Taliban mandates and extending their influence across Uruzgan.
Mujahid further stated that Mullah Hibatullah concluded the meeting by reaffirming the Taliban’s support for religious scholars and urging them to intensify their efforts in reinforcing Taliban governance and ideology. This gathering follows a series of similar engagements between Mullah Hibatullah and clerics from other provinces, highlighting the Taliban’s strategic reliance on religious scholars to consolidate their rule. By embedding clerics deeper into their governance structure, the Taliban seek to strengthen their legitimacy, exert greater societal control, and ensure ideological conformity within Afghanistani society.
