Prominent Shia Cleric Says Taliban Shuttered His Office In Kabul
Prominent Shia cleric Vaezzadeh Behsoodi announced on Wednesday that the Taliban have shut down his office in western Kabul, expelled its staff, and sealed the premises.
Prominent Shia cleric Vaezzadeh Behsoodi announced on Wednesday that the Taliban have shut down his office in western Kabul, expelled its staff, and sealed the premises.
In a statement, Behsoodi said individuals had lodged baseless complaints against his office with the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Justice, leading to what he described as a targeted and unjustified crackdown.
“These conspiracies and schemes misled the Ministry of Justice,” he stated, adding that as a result, the office was sealed, four individuals were arrested, and teachers, students, and staff were expelled.
Although the detainees were later released due to a lack of evidence and no formal court ruling, Behsoodi said he learned that his branch office and affiliated seminary in Dashte Barchi had also been shut down.
“The justice minister makes decisions without conducting proper investigations,” he said, announcing his resignation from the religious custodianship of the Mahdavia Mosque and school in protest.
Behsoodi has been an outspoken critic of Taliban policies over the past four years. In a recent address in Balkh, he urged the group to engage with the international community, build ties with neighbouring countries, and recognise Afghanistan’s ethnic and political diversity.
He called on the Taliban to respect the country’s cultural and religious pluralism and to transition their interim government into an inclusive national administration.
“If we have a truly national administration, the world cannot eliminate, humiliate, or ignore us,” Behsoodi said.
