Reports of Pressure on Shiite Clerics Grow as Taliban Detentions Alleged

DID Press: Hujjat-ul-Islam Hossain-Dad Sharifi, a prominent Shiite cleric and senior instructor at a seminary in Kabul, has alleged that Taliban authorities have recently detained dozens of Shiite religious figures over the practice of conducting “temporary marriage contracts.”

Sharifi claimed that those detained were required to sign pledges not to officiate such contracts in the future, warning that violations could lead to arrest and imprisonment. He described the measures as disrespectful toward Shiite religious practice and questioned whether the policy amounts to coercion in matters of faith.

According to earlier reports, Sharifi was briefly detained and physically mistreated in western Kabul last week by Taliban personnel, an incident that has drawn criticism from community representatives.

The Shiite Commission of Afghanistan has stated that it held discussions with the head of inspections at the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice regarding alleged mistreatment of the cleric, urging steps to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.

The developments have intensified concerns among observers over religious freedoms and the treatment of minority clerics under the current administration, amid calls for clearer safeguards and oversight mechanisms.