Taliban Detains Cleric Bashir Ahmad Hanafi In Helmand For Second Time

The Taliban has reportedly arrested Mawlawi Bashir Ahmad Hanafi, a religious scholar in Helmand province, for the second time.

Sources close to Hanafi told Afghanistan International that he was detained by Taliban intelligence agents shortly after returning from Egypt and is currently being held in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital.

According to those familiar with the case, Hanafi was arrested one day after arriving in Afghanistan and has now spent over a week in Taliban custody. The group has referred his case to the court, though no formal charges have been made public.

A relative of the cleric said, “We do not know why he has been detained again. This is the second time the Taliban have arrested him. He is now so exhausted he doesn’t know what to do.”

Hanafi had previously been arrested by the Taliban last year. He is currently a PhD candidate in Islamic studies at Al-Azhar University in Egypt. His family expressed concern that his continued detention could cause him to miss an important exam in the coming weeks, jeopardising years of academic work.

Four weeks ago, Hanafi gave an interview to BBC Pashto in which he spoke about Ibn Hibban al-Busti, a prominent 10th-century Shafi'i scholar. In the interview, he emphasised the value of knowledge and highlighted the injustice faced by Ibn Hibban, who was reportedly denounced by some contemporaries despite his scholarly contributions.

Some speculate the interview may have triggered his arrest, though his family says they have not been given any official explanation.

Hanafi has been an outspoken critic of the Taliban's policies, particularly the ban on girls’ education. He has publicly called for the reopening of schools and universities for girls and has challenged the Taliban's silence on the issue. In addition to his academic work, Hanafi runs a madrasa for children in Lashkar Gah city.

Taliban officials in Helmand have not yet commented on his arrest.

His detention comes just a day after another Taliban critic, Mawlawi Abdul Qadir Qanit, was reportedly detained in Kabul. Qanit is said to be held at Directorate 40 of Taliban intelligence and was allowed to briefly contact his family by phone.

In recent months, the Taliban has increasingly targeted dissenting voices, with several critical clerics arrested across Afghanistan. Human rights groups have repeatedly condemned the Taliban's suppression of free speech and religious debate.