Local sources in Herat Province report that the Taliban have prevented the observance and celebration of Eid al-Ghadir in several Shiite-populated areas of the province. According to these sources, Taliban forces visited a number of these communities on Thursday, coinciding with Eid al-Ghadir, and instructed residents to refrain from organizing gatherings and events associated with the occasion.
Sources stated that Taliban members told local residents that Eid al-Ghadir “has no place in Islam” and therefore should not be commemorated through public ceremonies or celebrations.
Eid al-Ghadir is regarded as one of the most significant religious occasions for Shiite Muslims and is commemorated annually through religious ceremonies and public gatherings in various countries and Shiite-majority regions of Afghanistan.
Local residents say that, as a result of the Taliban’s intervention, a substantial portion of the programs and events planned to mark the occasion in Herat were canceled this year.
The Taliban have not yet issued an official response to these reports.
The incident comes amid growing concerns expressed in recent months by a number of Shiite religious scholars and community figures regarding what they describe as religious restrictions and discriminatory practices targeting Afghanistan’s Shiite population.
Earlier, Sayyid Hussein Behsudi, a prominent Afghan Shiite cleric, criticized what he described as religious pressures and limitations imposed on Shiites by the Taliban during his Eid al-Adha sermon.
Human rights organizations and international bodies have repeatedly underscored the importance of safeguarding religious freedom and protecting the rights of religious and sectarian minorities in Afghanistan.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
