Local sources report that the Taliban has cancelled a memorial mourning ceremony (Fatiha) for Ali Khamenei, the former Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in the city of Herat. According to these sources, the decision was made after the Islamic Republic of Iran invited Ahmad Massoud, the leader of Afghanistan’s National Resistance Front, to attend a farewell ceremony for Ali Khamenei.
The sources said that an announcement for the ceremony had previously been issued, but the Taliban prevented it from taking place at the last moment on Saturday, 20 Saratan. So far, no Taliban institution or official has provided an explanation for the reason behind the cancellation.
Officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran have also not yet responded to reports regarding the cancellation of the memorial ceremony in Herat, nor have they commented on any possible connection between the decision and the invitation extended to Ahmad Massoud.
The invitation by the Islamic Republic of Iran to Ahmad Massoud, the leader of Afghanistan’s National Resistance Front, and Mohammad Mohaqiq, the leader of the Islamic Unity Party of the People of Afghanistan, to attend the farewell ceremony for Ali Khamenei has drawn reactions from several Taliban officials and supporters of the group on social media.
Abdul Latif Nazari, the Taliban’s Deputy Minister of Economy, reacted to the move by accusing the Islamic Republic of Iran of pursuing a double-standard policy by hosting both the Taliban and opponents of the group, saying that Tehran was “trying to have it both ways.”
Meanwhile, several Taliban supporters on social media have described Iran’s invitation to Ahmad Massoud and Mohammad Mohaqiq as evidence of inconsistency in the Islamic Republic’s policies. Some users have also called for an official response from the Taliban government on the matter.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
