Taliban Blocks Shia Eid Prayers in Parts of Kabul

DID Press: Reports indicate that the Taliban government prevented Shia communities in some areas of Kabul, including the western part of the city and the sixth district, from holding Eid al-Fitr prayers. According to local sources, Taliban forces were stationed at the entrances of Shia mosques, denying worshippers access.

Eyewitnesses in Dasht-e Barchi also confirmed that the Taliban blocked the Eid al-Fitr prayers on Saturday, which was considered the first day of Eid by the majority of Shias in Afghanistan. This comes as the Taliban, unlike many other Islamic countries, had declared Thursday as Eid al-Fitr and had asked Shias to perform their prayers on that day. However, this request faced widespread opposition from the Shia community.

Sources had earlier reported the detention of several Shia clerics by the Taliban. According to Jafari jurisprudence, the timing of Eid al-Fitr is determined by religious authorities, and many Shias in Afghanistan, following the declaration of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, observed Saturday as Eid.