Taliban authorities in Kabul have arrested two individuals on charges of promoting Christianity, after allegedly discovering a number of books in their possession, according to sources who spoke with Amu TV.
According to sources, the arrests stemmed from the individuals’ ownership of several books, including a copy of the Bible and titles such as Jesus: Myth or History?, The Life of the Most Famous Iranian Poets, Logical Positivism, Hazaristan: The Hazara People and Greater Khorasan, and Youth from the Perspective of (Imam) Khomeini. Taliban are said to have confiscated the books during the arrests.
The identities of the detainees have not been disclosed, and Taliban have yet to comment on the incident.
According to a video posted by the Taliban’s PVPV ministry on July 1, one of those arrested is Sayed Reza, a Kabul resident and a Nama Rasana employee, which is a media outlet Taliban say has violated their rules.
He says in the video that he had worked with the media organization for six years. The media company, he says, has a library and a bookstore and also takes parts in producing series.
The arrests come amid a broader crackdown on literature and public access to ideas deemed un-Islamic or politically sensitive by the Taliban. In recent weeks, Taliban have stepped up inspections of libraries and academic institutions, reportedly forming commissions to review and purge materials from public and university libraries.
The Taliban-run vice and virtue ministry said the initiative was ordered by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and aims to remove books considered “deviant” or contrary to the group’s interpretation of Islamic principles.
Rights advocates warn that such moves are part of a larger effort by the Taliban to restrict intellectual freedom and suppress religious and ethnic diversity in the country.
