Waezzada Behsudi, one of Afghanistan’s prominent Shiite religious authorities, says Taliban pressure on followers of the Jafari school of thought has steadily increased over the past five years.
During his Eid al-Adha sermon, the Shiite cleric said people approach religious scholars with “tearful eyes,” complaining about growing restrictions and pressure imposed on them.
Behsudi stated that despite Taliban claims of commitment to Islamic law and religious values, pressure on Shiites has continued to intensify, increasing public dissatisfaction and distancing people from the ruling authorities.
He warned that continuing such policies would benefit neither the Taliban nor Afghanistan, but would instead deepen division, resentment, and hostility.
“When pressure becomes excessive, an explosion becomes inevitable, and the Taliban should not push the situation toward that point,” he said.
The Shiite religious authority also accused the Taliban of pressuring Shiite students at universities to either adopt the Hanafi school of thought or abandon their studies.
According to him, some Shiite clerics have also reportedly been summoned and asked to pledge that they would not perform temporary marriage ceremonies.
Behsudi stressed that religious belief is a “red line” for people and cannot be changed through force or pressure.
In another part of his remarks, he said Shiite scholars had sent a 200-page letter to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada around two years ago but had never received a response.
According to Behsudi, the Taliban neither respond to such letters nor provide opportunities for meetings with senior officials.
He added that he had remained silent in the media over the past two years, but increasing pressure and repeated complaints from people forced him to break that silence.
Behsudi also accused the Taliban of using weapons collection campaigns to pressure citizens, alleging that some lower-ranking Taliban members demand money from people in exchange for confiscated weapons.
