As Threats Against Shia Community In Herat Escalate, Taliban Pledges Protection

Mohmmad Motahari, the head of the Jebrael Shia Ulema Council, has announced that the Taliban has committed to providing weapons and security personnel for Shia religious scholars.

In an interview with the Iranian Fars News Agency, Motahari underscored the deteriorating security situation and highlighted the recent surge in attacks targeting Shias in Afghanistan.

Despite the Taliban's claims of having improved security for all Afghans, concerns about escalating assaults on Shia and Hazara communities in Afghanistan persist. The last month alone has seen the assassination of at least five Shia clerics in Herat province.

Motahari, speaking on Sunday, lamented the current state of affairs: "Regrettably, the security situation is dire. We've seen an uptick in insecurity over the past 40 days, with religious scholars facing increased threats."

He pointed out the diverse objectives of the "terrorist" groups attacking Shia scholars, noting that these groups aim to provoke the Shia community against the Taliban and foster distrust between the Taliban and Shia community.

Motahari also referred to public requests for assigning security guards to Shia educational institutions, mosques, and public spaces.

Following the recent assassinations of five Shiite clerics in Herat, Mohammad Mohaqiq, head of the Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan, voiced suspicions that these serial killings of Hazaras and Shiites are being carried out with the Taliban's complicity. He questioned the Taliban's capability to provide security or speculated on their possible involvement in fostering insecurity.

However, the head of the Ulema Council of Jebrael township expressed confidence in the Taliban's commitment to safeguard the Shia community in Herat.