RASC News Agency: Since seizing power, the Taliban have intensified their efforts to impose Sunni Islam on Ismaili communities in Badakhshan, using coercion, intimidation, and systematic oppression. Reports indicate that Taliban authorities have pressured and forcibly converted young Ismailis, referring to those who abandon their faith as “the guided ones.” Residents of Darwaz, Badakhshan, speaking to RASC, revealed that Jummah Khan Fatih, the Taliban’s regional commander, has been forcibly compelling young Ismailis to renounce their faith. According to sources, Fatih employs threats, coercion, and psychological pressure to enforce religious conversion.
Since the Taliban’s takeover, persecution of Ismailis has intensified, particularly under Mullah Jummah Khan Fatih, who proclaims himself the “Conqueror of Darwaz.” With a highly armed militia under his command, Fatih has established a reign of terror, frequently patrolling villages, issuing ultimatums to Ismailis and Twelver Shia Muslims, and demanding their conversion to Sunni Islam. Locals report that Fatih arbitrarily arrests, tortures, and brutalizes individuals at will, ruling the region with an iron fist. His unchecked authority and ruthless methods have instilled deep fear among the residents, who now view him as the region’s absolute dictator.
Since consolidating power in Badakhshan, Fatih has systematically eliminated rivals through targeted assassinations, extortion, and violent suppression, further entrenching his dominance over the region. Despite repeated pleas from local residents to higher Taliban authorities, no action has been taken to curb his brutality. For the people of Darwaz, Jummah Khan Fatih embodies the unrestrained tyranny of Taliban rule where oppression is enforced with impunity, fear dictates daily life, and justice remains an illusion.
