Shia Ulema Council Asks Taliban To Lift Restrictions On Muharram Mourning Ceremony
The Shia Ulema Council of Afghanistan has confirmed that the Taliban has imposed restrictions on the mourning ceremony during the month of Muharram.
The Shia Ulema Council of Afghanistan has confirmed that the Taliban has imposed restrictions on the mourning ceremony during the month of Muharram.
In a statement on Tuesday, this council asked the Taliban to lift the restrictions so that Shias can hold Muharram freely and like the previous years.
In the statement, it has been stated that Taliban officials, during a meeting with the representatives of this council, imposed restrictions on holding the Muharram ceremony due to security threats.
On Monday, after reports of the Taliban's restrictions on the Muharram ceremony, Zabihullah Mujahid, the group’s spokesperson announced that they "support religious minorities and have given [them] freedom to worship and perform their religious ceremonies".
However, Mujahid emphasised that "large gatherings and collective movement have been limited due to security measures”.
The Shia Ulema Council has stressed that the Shia clerics did not accept the Taliban's restrictions, and to address this issue, they assigned a delegation to convey their message and discuss it with the Taliban officials.
The council's statement said, "The officials of the Islamic Emirate [Taliban], in a meeting with the mentioned delegation, expressed their firm decision to impose restrictions in some areas of Kabul due to serious security threats."
The council emphasised that their delegation expressed "serious concern" about the consequences of imposing restrictions on the Muharram ceremony during the meeting with the Taliban officials.
In their statement, the Shia Ulema Council emphasised that there have been reports of Taliban restrictions on Muharram ceremonies from other provinces and districts too.
The council has also asked the people to organise the Muharram and Ashura ceremonies "in an orderly and magnificent manner" with the coordination and cooperation of the Taliban forces.
