RASC News Agency: The Taliban have officially prohibited the printing and distribution of Tawdih al-Masa’il, a jurisprudential guide authored by leading Shiite scholars. This ban is part of the Taliban’s ongoing campaign to suppress the Shiite community in Afghanistan, further exacerbating existing restrictions. As a result, Shiite religious offices across the country are now facing a severe shortage of this essential religious text. Tawdih al-Masa’il is a comprehensive guide to Shiite jurisprudence, presenting authoritative religious rulings on legal and theological matters. It serves as a fundamental source of guidance for Shiite followers, helping them navigate Islamic laws in daily life.
Since seizing control in 2021, the Taliban have systematically targeted Shiite religious practices, imposing a series of restrictions including banning religious gatherings, limiting Muharram mourning ceremonies, prohibiting the teaching of Jafari jurisprudence in schools and universities, and now, censoring Shiite religious literature. Shiite activists have strongly condemned the ban, calling it a deliberate attempt to erase their religious identity. They stress that Shiite communities rely on this text as a vital source of religious and legal guidance, and its prohibition further isolates their faith from public life.
Activists also warn that the Taliban’s systematic suppression of Shiite religious literature is part of a broader effort to marginalize and weaken the Shiite presence in Afghanistani society. If this trend continues, they argue, Shiite followers will not only lose access to their religious teachings but also face an existential threat to their cultural and spiritual identity. According to Shiite scholars, the Taliban’s ultimate goal appears to be the gradual erasure of Shiite influence in Afghanistan, diminishing their role and status within the country.
The restriction of Shiite religious texts is more than mere censorship it constitutes an outright assault on religious identity. The Taliban had already imposed severe limitations on Shiite-run schools, and dozens of Shiite religious books were previously blacklisted by the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture.
