Outcry Over Reported Sale of Shia Cemetery in Herat to Taliban-Linked Businessman
DID Press: Reported sale of a Shia and Hazara community cemetery in Herat’s Andisheh Township to a businessman linked to the Taliban’s caretaker government—and plans to build a commercial market on the site—has sparked widespread anger and concern among residents and human rights activists.
Local sources in Herat province confirmed that the Taliban handed over the Shia community cemetery in Andisha Township to a trader close to one of their local commanders, with plans to develop a market and industrial complex on the land.
Residents say Taliban forces have already begun mapping and marking the cemetery in recent days to prepare for demolition and construction—an action that has fueled deep outrage in the community.
Andisheh Township, on the outskirts of Herat, is a residential area of about 10,000 homes, established more than two decades ago and largely populated by Hazara Shiite families. Locals warn the Taliban’s decision not only desecrates the graves of their loved ones but also threatens the security and future of thousands of households.
Reports indicate that since the beginning of 2025, Taliban declared the township “state-owned land” and are now seeking to forcibly evict residents, despite many families holding official ownership documents and building permits.
Human rights activists have denounced the move as a blatant violation of property rights, freedom of movement, and human dignity. They warn that forced displacement driven by ethnic motives might deepen communal divides and undermine social stability.
Some social activists have further described the Taliban’s actions as part of a systematic policy of marginalizing non-Pashtun communities, with some even labeling it “ethnic cleansing.”
The development comes amid a series of reported forced displacements of minority groups over the past two years in northern provinces like Bamiyan, Daikundi, and Ghor—often in favor of Taliban-affiliated groups or Kuchi nomads.