Taliban: Shiites Exempt from Taliban Courts’ Penal Code

DID Press: Taliban Spokesman said Shiite Muslims are exempt from the penal code applied in Taliban courts, stressing that the regulations apply only to Sunni Muslims.

Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban’s chief spokesman, made the remarks in response to criticism and controversy surrounding the courts’ penal guidelines. He said the provision concerning “bid‘ah” (religious innovation) is intended solely for Sunnis.

“This legal clause addresses potential deviations within the framework of Hanafi jurisprudence and does not, under any circumstances, apply to Shiites,” Mujahid said.

He added that the Taliban’s penal guidelines are based on Islamic sharia and Hanafi fiqh, which the group considers binding for itself. However, he emphasized that, contrary to some assumptions, the rules do not extend to Shiite communities.

Mujahid said Shiites are fully free in their religious beliefs and practices and are not required to comply with the Taliban courts’ penal code, which, he said, will be enforced only on Sunnis within the framework of Hanafi jurisprudence.