New Lines Institute: Since the Taliban takeover, Shia-Hazaras have faced escalating violence affecting places of worship, schools, workplaces, and daily life. They are excluded from the Taliban’s government and are subjected to systemic economic marginalization and widespread religious discrimination. Terrorist attacks and mass killings targeting the community have become more commonplace. In the three years
Afghanistan International: The World Organization Against Torture has released a report exposing new and detailed accounts of physical and psychological abuse in Taliban detention centres, citing evidence of systematic torture by the group’s intelligence agency. The report, based on extensive interviews with detainees held between 2021 and 2024, documents severe human rights violations including the
Amu: Taliban have imposed new restrictions on Shiite religious practices in Herat Province during Muharram, the Islamic month of mourning, dismantling mourning tents and removing flags from Shiite neighborhoods, according to local sources and residents. Witnesses in districts such as Jebrael, Kore Milli and Khatem al-Anbia said Taliban forces tore down black banners and processional
Afghanistan International: Clashes broke out on Monday evening, in the Jebrael area of Herat city after Taliban forces attempted to dismantle Muharram mourning tents, prompting resistance from mourners. Videos obtained by Afghanistan International show Taliban forces firing weapons and tearing down the tents. The incident reportedly followed orders from Taliban authorities to remove tents not
Afghanistan International: According to recent reports, Taliban forces in some districts—including Malistan in Ghazni province—attempted to compel Shia residents to break their fast on Sunday. Over the past four years, there have been several cases of the Taliban pressuring Shia communities to conform to its Supreme Court’s Eid announcements. In some instances, Taliban members reportedly
Amu: Local sources alleged that Abdullah Sarhadi, the Taliban governor of Bamiyan, coerced and threatened members of the Shia community in the province to denounce the ICC’s actions. According to reports, Sarhadi contacted several Shia elders in Bamiyan, instructing them to publicly condemn the ICC prosecutor’s request. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Local sources from Herat told Afghanistan International that the Taliban arrested two influential Shia clerics in the town of Jibril and transferred them to an unknown location. According to sources, Mohammad Akbari and Hossein Azimi had previously protested against the Taliban’s restrictions on Ashura ceremonies. In July of this year, during the Ashura
8am: The Taliban have intensified restrictions against Shia Muslims by banning the import of Shia religious books and prayer texts into Afghanistan. Pilgrims returning from Karbala have voiced concerns over the Taliban’s harsh treatment and the prohibition on transferring these religious materials at border crossings. They report that during book collections, the Taliban insult Shia
8am: The massacre of Shia pilgrims at the border between the provinces of Ghor and Daykundi, for which ISIS has claimed responsibility, has once again highlighted the issue of Anti-Shiism among extremist Islamic groups. This event occurred in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, a group that has repeatedly demonstrated that it is no less anti-Shia than
8am: Several Shiite citizens in the country have condemned the use of derogatory terms against Shiites by Taliban officials and institutions. They urge the group to be more cautious in their use of language and terminology. They believe that Taliban officials and institutions should use terms that bridge the gap between sects and religions when