Country's Relations With Taliban Have Entered New Phase, Says Chinese Ambassador

The ministry said that Khan Mohammad was released from prison as a result of "long and productive negotiations" with the United States.

Although the Taliban did not disclose the identities of the American prisoners, CNN reported that Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, two American citizens, were released from the group's custody in exchange for the release of Taliban prisoner.

The Taliban said that the group's prisoner had been sentenced to life in prison in the United States and was serving his sentence in a prison in California.

Khan Mohammad was arrested in Nangarhar about two decades ago, the group said.

Meanwhile, CNN reported that Ryan Corbett and William McKenty were released from Taliban custody on Tuesday morning, January 21, and left for the United States.

In exchange for the release of the two American citizens, Washington handed over Khan Mohammad, who was arrested in 2008 on drug-related terrorism charges, to the Taliban, the report said.

CNN said that the prisoner exchange between the United States and the Taliban, which had been taking place for years, took place in the last hours of Joe Biden's administration.

CNN sources said that the Taliban prisoner was transferred to Qatar by US officials.

According to the report, Qatar has hosted several rounds of talks between the Taliban and the United States on the prisoner exchange. Doha has also facilitated the transfer of American prisoners from Kabul.

The Taliban's Foreign Ministry also said in a statement on Tuesday that the prisoner exchange with Washington was a "good example of resolving issues through dialogue" and appreciated Qatar's "effective role" in the process.

The Taliban said that it views the US actions positively, and that they "contribute to the normalisation and expansion of relations between the two countries".

Sources reported that the Taliban has decided to dismiss Salafi clerics from their positions as mosque imams.

Restrictions On Salafis

One of the restrictions imposed by the Taliban is that no Salafi religious leader is allowed to lead prayers in mosques or other places. Sources have informed Afghanistan International that the Taliban has advised Salafis against performing “Raf’ al-Yadain” (raising hands during prayer when saying Takbeer) and not to say “Ameen” loudly after Surah Al-Fatiha during prayers.

Raf’ al-Yadain refers to the practice of raising hands during prayer when saying Takbeer. While this practice is common among followers of certain Islamic sects, there is disagreement among juristic schools about whether it is obligatory or merely recommended. The Taliban, who predominantly follow the Hanafi school of thought, oppose Raf’ al-Yadain and the loud recitation of Ameen during prayer.

In addition, sources report that several Salafi missionary centers and groups have also faced restrictions, with instructions to refrain from spreading Salafism among the population.

Salafis are more prominent in the eastern provinces of Afghanistan, particularly in Kunar, which is one of the main centres of Salafi presence in the region.

In Afghanistan, Salafis are referred to by various names. Some call them “Ahl al-Hadith,” while others refer to them as “Wahhabis”.

Leader of Salafis in Afghanistan

During Daoud Khan’s rule, Salafis began their efforts to promote Salafi Islam in Kunar province and even established special madrassas to teach the sect. At the time, the influence of the Panchpiria sect was stronger, and some Salafi scholars had graduated from Panchpiria madrassas.

One of these scholars was Sheikh Jamil al-Rahman, known at the time as Mawlawi Muhammad Hussain. Born in the Dara-i-Pech district of Kunar, he studied at the Panchpiria madrassa. He worked to spread the influence of Salafi Islam throughout Kunar.

Shah Mahmood Miakhel, former governor of Nangarhar, noted that initially, there were intense conflicts between the followers of Salafi and Hanafi Islam in Kunar. However, due to Rahman’s ethnic influence, the number of Salafis grew.

Miakhel added that after Kunar, Salafism expanded into Nuristan, where a man named Mullah Rabbani connected with Rahman and began efforts to promote Salafi Islam.

Rahman joined the Jihad against Soviet forces alongside the Mujahideen and joined Hezb-e-Islami, led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, taking up arms. Sources revealed that in the 1980s, he received financial support from Arab countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, to promote Salafi Islam. In 1986, he established a political group called “Jamaat al-Dawah ila al-Quran wal-Sunnah”. With this support, religious schools and mosques were built for Salafis, particularly in Kunar, playing a pivotal role in spreading the sect throughout eastern Afghanistan.

During the civil wars, Rahman migrated to Bajaur, Pakistan, where he continued his activities until his death. In 1991, he was killed by an Egyptian journalist named Abdullah Rumi in Bajaur, Pakistan.

Following Rahman’s death, the Salafis appointed his nephew, Rohullah Wakil, as his successor.

Rohullah Wakil: From Saving Arabs to Guantanamo Prison

Rohullah Wakil did not have an extensive religious education, but Salafis chose him as the successor to Jamil-ur-Rahman. In 2001, Wakil fought alongside US forces against the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

According to WikiLeaks, in 2003, Wakil was arrested by US forces in Nangarhar for allegedly aiding in the smuggling of Arabs and al-Qaeda militants. Sources told Afghanistan International that Wakil, a Salafi leader in the eastern provinces of Afghanistan, particularly Kunar, built numerous schools and mosques for his followers, spreading Salafi Islam to more areas.

These activities were reportedly supported by financial contributions from some Arab countries. Wakil was released from Guantanamo prison in 2008, but in the final years of the previous Afghan government, he was arrested again based on intelligence reports from the National Directorate of Security.

Sources informed Afghanistan International that he was detained on charges of links to terrorists but was released after pressure from some members of the parliament.

The Guardian newspaper reported that Wakil was allegedly involved in drug trafficking and had strong connections not only with Britain, but also with Pakistan. However, Wakil has repeatedly denied these accusations in media interviews. After the Taliban regained power, he left Afghanistan and relocated to Pakistan with his family.

A video obtained by Afghanistan International shows Wakil delivering a speech in November 2024 at a Salafi religious gathering in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where he described the situation of Salafi followers in Afghanistan as “worrying”. In his address, he mentioned the mysterious killings of Salafi religious scholars and followers under the Taliban’s rule, calling for the ruling group to ensure their security. Wakil also urged Salafis to engage in religious debates with gentleness and to avoid violence.

Assassinations of Key Salafi Members

In Jalalabad city, a prominent madrassa called “Naranj Bagh” had thousands of students. The previous government’s intelligence services arrested some leaders of this madrassa, accusing them of links to ISIS. Shah Mahmood Miakhel, former governor of Nangarhar, confirmed that some students from the school joined ISIS and fought on the battlefronts.

Sheikh Sardar Wali Saqib, the head of the madrassa, was a well-known figure among Salafis. However, the Taliban imposed restrictions on the madrassa and its members. On July 13, 2022, Sardar Wali was mysteriously killed inside his house in Kabul by a knife attack. The perpetrators remain unknown.

All religious scholars from Naranj Bagh were dismissed, and teaching Salafi religious texts was banned. The Taliban replaced them with Hanafi scholars. According to Afghanistan International, at least 30 prominent Salafi religious scholars have been killed by unknown assailants in provinces such as Kunduz, Kapisa, and Kabul.

Reports indicated that in the past three and a half years, several unknown bodies have been discovered in Nangarhar Canal, with some Salafi students allegedly killed due to their suspected connections with ISIS. These killings intensified during the tenure of Dr Bashir, the former head of Taliban intelligence in Nangarhar. Sources claim that Bashir, who played a key role in the Taliban's battle against ISIS, carried out harsh actions against suspected ISIS members.

Restrictions on Salafi Activities and Increased Surveillance

Taliban intelligence in Kunar and Nuristan provinces has placed Salafi religious scholars under strict surveillance, banning public religious speeches. Shah Mahmood Miakhel emphasised that while some students from Salafi madrassas have joined ISIS, not all Salafis are connected to the terrorist group. He pointed out that simply studying at a Salafi school or following Salafi Islam doesn’t imply any ties to ISIS.

Additionally, the Taliban's Ministry of Higher Education recently dismissed 12 professors from Kunar University due to their Salafi leanings. The Taliban has also shut down several Salafi religious madrassas and imposed restrictions on the leadership of Salafi scholars.

During Ramadan last year, the Taliban made it mandatory to increase the number of Rak’ahs for Tarawih prayers from 8 to 20 and prohibited saying "Ameen" aloud after Surah Al-Fatiha during prayers.

Some Salafi followers, fearing retaliation, have concealed their identities. While many believe ordinary Salafi followers have no connection to political or military groups, the Taliban remains suspicious of them. Miakhel also noted that the Taliban often labels ordinary people as ISIS members without evidence.

These restrictions have forced many Salafi followers in eastern Afghanistan to hide their religious practices and identities, seeking to avoid becoming targets of the Taliban. As the majority of the Taliban are Hanafi followers, some fear that escalating pressure on Salafi followers could eventually lead to sectarian conflict.

A journalist close to the activist said that Ulfat had messaged him hours before the news of his death was broadcast and said that he had been wounded in a Taliban attack.

According to the source, Hamza Ulfat had traveled from Iran to Daikundi province to visit his mother and planned to migrate to Pakistan and from there to one of the Western countries.

The journalist shared a text attributed to Hamza Ulfat with Afghanistan International. "On January 16, the Taliban attacked me to arrest me," the message reads. “I escaped, but I was shot and now I am wounded." He also added, "I am hiding in a mountain, my situation is an emergency and I only have two days of food. I need help as soon as I can."

A source close to Hamza Ulfat also reported a phone conversation with the human rights activist, saying that Hamza Ulfat told him that the Taliban's bullet had hit an area below the knee and that he had tried to stop the bleeding by using ice, snow and bandages.

However, another source who was close to Hamza Ulfat denied the claim that he was killed, saying that Ulfat suffered from mental problems after his release from the Taliban prison and died at his home. According to the source, Hamza Ulfat had stuttered after his release from the Taliban's prison and repeatedly mentioned the Taliban's physical and psychological torture in his conversations.

Hamza Ulfat, who previously was a teacher and activist in western Kabul, was arrested by the Taliban on February 9, 2023, in the Dasht-e-Barchi area of western Kabul and released in July 2023.

Following the publication of conflicting news about the death of Hamza Ulfat, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, Richard Bennett, has called for the Taliban to investigate and hold accountable the death of the human rights activist. Exact details of his death have not been released so far, and the Taliban have not commented on the matter.

Lindsey Graham stressed, "I've never been more worried about attacks on my homeland than I am now."

Senator Lindsey Graham, the top Republican US Senator, answered Margaret Brennan's questions in an interview with CBS News.

In response to a question about border security and related costs, he said that $100 billion is enough to strengthen border security, stressing that these measures are necessary to prevent external threats.

Lindsey Graham said, "I've never been more worried about attacks on my homeland. With the influence of ISIS in Afghanistan and wars around the world, I think the Republican's number one priority should be border security."

He also emphasised, "If we don't, we will be playing Russian roulette with our national security. Border security should be a priority, funding the army should be a priority. Then, let's cut taxes and costs."

"Russian roulette" is a type of game in which the participants place only one bullet in the magazine of the gun, and then the magazine is rotated several times, and then aimed at the head or body of one of the participants. Russian roulette is an allusion to a behavior based on luck.

Earlier, Michael McCaul, the former chairman of the US House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee, also warned that ISIS has been revived in Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban.

The Taliban, however, claims to have eliminated ISIS in Afghanistan and that Afghan soil is not being used against foreign countries.

However, the report by independent international organisations shows that ISIS continues to recruit and expand its influence in Afghanistan. According to the UN Security Council report, ISIS has even infiltrated the Taliban's security institutions.

Mohammad Naeem Noman, deputy director of the Taliban's First Political Department; Masoom Asim and Safiullah Jabarkhel, members of the ministry's Audit Office, will be sent to Delhi soon.

The newspaper on Sunday quoted "reliable sources" as saying that "amid the deepening of relations between Delhi and the Taliban, which has created tensions for other players in the region, including India's longtime rival, Pakistan", the Taliban is ready to send three more diplomats to the Afghan embassy in Delhi.

According to the newspaper, following the appointment of Ikramuddin Kamil as the Taliban's representative at the Afghan consulate in Mumbai, speculation arose that three more diplomats would be sent to Delhi soon.

Now, sources familiar with this position told the Sunday Guardian on condition of anonymity that Mohammad Naeem Noman, deputy director of the Taliban's Foreign Ministry's First Political Department, and Masoom Asim and Safiullah Jabarkhel, members of the ministry's Audit Office, will soon be sent to Delhi and will probably take charge of the Afghan embassy.

According to the Sunday Guardian, the Afghan embassy in Delhi is currently run by Syed Mohammad Ibrahimkhil, who is the chargé d'affaires of the embassy.

Last year, Afghan media reported that three more individuals were likely to be sent to New Delhi, including Sohail Shaheen's son, Najib Shaheen. However, informed sources said that "his name has been removed from the list and he has been replaced by three new people. Of course, the possibility of his appointment in the future is not completely ruled out".

The Taliban and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs have not yet commented on the news.