Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on Muharram rituals this year, banning photography and limiting public observances across several provinces, including Kabul, local sources said.
Sources in Kabul, Herat, Balkh, Bamiyan and Ghazni told Amu that Taliban authorities curtailed ceremonies and prohibited the use of cameras during Ashura day, which was Sunday, and other mourning rituals, part of the Islamic calendar’s most sacred month for Muslims.
Residents said this year’s restrictions were stricter than in previous years, with some communities not even permitted to raise traditional black flags or organize public processions.
“We have marked Muharram for many years, but this year we weren’t allowed to hold the ceremonies as we wanted,” said a resident of Herat, who requested anonymity for safety reasons. “They didn’t let us commemorate it in our own way.”
Another Herat resident urged the Taliban to respect the religious practices of Shiite communities. “We are simply asking to observe our religious beliefs as we always have,” the person said. “This year’s restrictions were far greater than before. We just want the Islamic Emirate to let us worship freely.”
Several Kabul residents confirmed that mobile and internet services were disrupted in large parts of the capital on Sunday, the 10th day of Muharram, known as Ashura. Telecom outages have not been explained, and Taliban officials have yet to comment publicly on either the blackout or the restrictions.
In past statements, the Taliban have denied imposing limitations on Muharram rituals, but residents and rights monitors say the opposite is true.
Richard Bennett, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, previously expressed concern over Taliban-imposed restrictions on religious freedoms, including Muharram commemorations. Local sources told Amu that since the group’s return to power in August 2021, such limitations have become an annual feature, raising fears among Shiite communities about the future of religious expression under Taliban rule.
