According to sources from Kabul, the Taliban have ordered the Hazaras and the Shiite people to refrain from creating mourning queues in the cities and putting flags on the doors of houses, cars, and shops during their religious ceremonies.
The Taliban have asked all their security officials and the people to cooperate in the implementation of this order throughout Afghanistan.
In Muharram last year, however, the Taliban issued a similar order to Shiites in some big cities. But that order was not implemented in general throughout Afghanistan.
The Ashura ceremony is one of the Shiite religious ceremonies. They believe that in the month of Muharram, the third Imam of the Shiites was killed by Yazid’s army in Karbala. And that’s why they celebrate 10 days of this month (Muharram) every year by holding mourning ceremonies and distributing foods.
In the past few years, the 10th of Muharram has been declared a national holiday in the Afghanistan calendar.
Although, in the past two years, the Taliban prevented this ceremony from being held in the centre of the cities, there has been no significant change in the process of holding the mourning ceremony.
This year, however, the Taliban have warned more seriously than in previous years that if an action is taken against this order, the person will be punished.
Meanwhile, last week, the Taliban also prevented the “Eid Ghadir” ceremony.
Shiites and Hazaras are not present in the Taliban cabinet. Not long ago, the officials of the United Nations and some countries called the Taliban regime “exclusivist, Pashtunist, and masculinist”.
The Taliban, however, claim that “our government is inclusive, and all ethnic and religious groups are present in its structure.”
Freshta Askari
