KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban authorities in central Bamyan province have stopped a planned religious gathering organized by Shia Muslims to mark the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad, local sources told KabulNow.
The event was scheduled for Monday, September 8, at the Shaheed Mazari Grand Mosque in Bamyan city. A prominent Shia cleric, Ayatollah Waezzada Behsudi, was expected to attend and deliver remarks at the gathering, according to the sources.
Sources said that Abdullah Sarhadi, the Taliban-appointed governor of Bamyan, ordered the gathering to be blocked. The Taliban intelligence forces also detained the event’s main organizer ahead of the ceremony. He was later released, but the program was canceled.
While no official explanation has been provided, sources familiar with the situation told KabulNow that Taliban intelligence accused the organizers of plotting a “conspiracy against the regime.” The Taliban often use this language to justify restrictions on gatherings and their clampdown on critics.
Ayatollah Behsudi is a senior Shia cleric and an influential religious authority for many in Afghanistan’s Shia community. He has been a vocal critic of Taliban policies since the group returned to power in August 2021. Over the past four years, he has condemned restrictions on Shia religious practices and spoken against the detention of women and girls in Kabul on accusations of “improper hijab.”
Last month, the Taliban briefly shut down Behsudi’s office and seminary in western Kabul, keeping them closed for four days before allowing them to reopen.
The latest incident adds to growing concerns about the Taliban’s treatment of ethnic and religious minorities. Shia Muslims, most of them from the Hazara community, make up a significant portion of Afghanistan’s population but have long faced persecution and violence.
Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have documented what they describe as systematic discrimination against Hazaras-Shia under Taliban rule. Reports have included arbitrary arrests, restrictions on religious gatherings, and targeted attacks on Hazara neighborhoods.
