RASC News Agency: Local sources in Panjshir report that students at a religious school affiliated with Turkish institutions in Dashtak, Rokha District, are being subjected to extreme religious practices under the direct supervision of the Taliban. According to these sources, the school operating under Taliban influence has imposed an arduous regimen of hundreds of rak’ahs of Tarawih prayers and prolonged dhikr sessions on students. The Taliban-appointed governor of Panjshir, Mohammad Agha Hakim, is said to be actively monitoring and endorsing these measures.
One student, who spoke anonymously to RASC, described the ordeal:
“Under direct orders from Mawlawi Musafir, the Taliban’s battalion commander in the region, students are forced to perform 300 rak’ahs of Tarawih prayers every night a practice that has no foundation in Islamic teachings. This is not an act of devotion; it is sheer nightly torture.”
The school, situated directly opposite a Taliban battalion headquarters, is officially managed by Turkish instructors. However, sources indicate that true control rests with the Taliban, particularly Mawlawi Musafir and his faction.
Faced with unbearable conditions, some students have abandoned their studies entirely. One former student, expelled for refusing to comply, recounted:
“Since the beginning of Ramadan, Mawlawi Musafir declared that the school would no longer operate as a traditional classroom-based institution but instead follow a strict religious hierarchy. He mandated that every student complete 300 rak’ahs of Tarawih prayers each night, warning that non-compliance would result in immediate expulsion.”
He also described the severe physical punishments meted out to those who failed to meet expectations:
“The pressure extended far beyond verbal threats. Students who dozed off were whipped by Taliban enforcers stationed behind the prayer rows. Those who missed prayers were denied food, had their academic grades lowered, and faced direct expulsion threats.” Beyond these physically exhausting prayer sessions, students were also forced to engage in loud dhikr for an additional 30 minutes.
“Anyone whose voice was too low or who failed to participate fervently was threatened with detention,” the source added.
Several students have suggested that the Turkish instructors overseeing the school disapprove of these extreme measures but are powerless against Taliban control. The imposition of 300 rak’ahs of Tarawih prayers vastly exceeds traditional Islamic practices, where most mosques observe only 20 rak’ahs. This development underscores the Taliban’s increasing grip on religious institutions and their exploitation of religious rituals as a tool for ideological indoctrination and control.
