8am: The Taliban are strongly opposed to the celebration of Nawroz, yet people still travel to commemorate the return of nature in the spring. As Nawroz is no longer an official holiday and has been removed from the calendar, government workers must be prepared to go to work on the first day of the new year. Imams of mosques in towns, villages, religious institutions, and schools who are ideologically linked to the Taliban oppose the Nawroz festival and forbid it, threatening to punish those who celebrate it and accusing them of blasphemy and atheism. Click here to read more (external link).