KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has condemned the attack on the Sufi shrine in northern Baghlan province, urging an investigation into the incident and the protection of Sufis and other religious minorities in Afghanistan.
In a post on X today, UNAMA called on the Taliban authorities to “fully investigate the incident, prevent future attacks, and ensure the protection of communities.”
The attack occurred in the Nahrin district of Baghlan on Thursday, November 21, when unidentified gunmen opened fire on worshipers at a Sufi shrine, killing at least 10 people.
No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the incident yet; however, local Taliban authorities have said that they have arrested several suspects in connection with the attack and are investigating the incident.
Earlier, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, called the attack “deplorable” and said that religious minorities remain under grave threat in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
In a post on X on Friday, Bennett stated, “All Afghans have the right to worship in peace. More prevention, protection, and justice needed.”
The Thursday attack on Sufis in Afghanistan was the latest in a series, with the community having experienced many such attacks in the past. Most of the previous attacks were claimed by ISKP, which regards Sufis as “heretics.”
ISKP claimed responsibility for the bombing of a Sufi mosque in northern Kunduz province on April 22, 2022, an attack that killed at least 33 people, including children, and wounded dozens more.
The deadliest attack on Sufis in Afghanistan occurred on April 29, 2022, when a bomb exploded in a Sufi mosque in Kabul, killing up to 50 worshipers and wounding dozens more. No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion so far.
During their first rule in Afghanistan in the late 1990s, the Taliban raided many Sufi monasteries and gatherings, beating community members and destroying their musical instruments, forcing dozens of them into hiding.
In his 2022 report, Richard Bennett called for an investigation into attacks on religious minorities in Afghanistan, including Sufis and Shia Hazaras. He stated that these attacks are “becoming increasingly systematic in nature, reflecting elements of an organizational policy,” and may therefore constitute “crimes against humanity.”
