Taliban Detains Shia Clerics In Herat Over Eid Dispute

Sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban have detained several Shia clerics in Herat after they refused to mark Eid al-Fitr on the day declared by the group.

Sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban have detained several Shia clerics in Herat after they refused to mark Eid al-Fitr on the day declared by the group.
Unlike most Muslim countries, the Taliban announced Thursday as the first day of Eid al-Fitr, while Saudi Arabia said Friday, March 20, would mark the start of Eid.
According to the sources, the Taliban’s Department of Hajj and Religious Affairs in Herat held a meeting on Tuesday attended by mosque imams and members of the Shia Ulema Council.
At the meeting, the Taliban presented a document and asked those present to sign it, committing to observe Eid in line with the Taliban’s announcement.
The sources said Shia scholars rejected the request, stating that in Shia jurisprudence the timing of Eid and fasting is determined by religious authorities.
According to the sources, during the meeting the Taliban detained Mohammad Rohani, head of religious schools in south-west Afghanistan and director of the Sadeqia seminary.
They added that on Wednesday the Taliban also detained Khodadad Ehsani, a representative of Ayatollah Mohaqiq Kabuli and preacher at the Al-Mahdi mosque in Jebrail, Mohammad Akbari, former head of the Jebrail Ulema Council, and several other Shia clerics in Herat, transferring them to prison.