The Taliban’s chief of information and culture in Herat has denounced the Ashura ceremony as an “innovation” and stressed the need to curb “political and foreign innovations.”

This Taliban official made these remarks during a meeting with a group of Shia clerics in Herat, where other Taliban officials were also present, discussing security arrangements for Ashura.

Ahmadullah Muttaqi addressed this issue during a meeting attended by several Taliban officials and Shia clerics in Herat.

According to Herat Information and Culture Department video footage, Mr. Muttaqi stated, “We should not say anything about the essence of [Ashura] ceremony.”

However, he emphasized the presence of “political innovations” in this ceremony that “do not exist in the book (Quran).”

The Taliban official highlighted the necessity of abstaining from such innovations.

Ahmedullah Muttaqi attributed Ashura to “foreign customs and innovations” and emphasized the need to tackle them.

He did not specify which aspects of the Ashura ceremony he categorized as “innovation,” “political innovation,” or “foreign innovation.”

Mr Muttaqi stressed that it is currently the responsibility of the Taliban government to ensure the security of the Ashura ceremonies, which should be conducted in a manner that contributes to security.

Meanwhile, recent actions and statements by Taliban officials regarding Ashura ceremonies underscore ongoing tensions and concerns surrounding religious practices and cultural expressions in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

These developments also highlight the complexities of ensuring religious freedoms and cultural practices in the country’s socio-political landscape.

Earlier, videos and images circulated on social media depicted Taliban members removing and tearing down Ashura flags in Shia areas, asserting that such flags should not be displayed in public spaces like streets or rooftops.

Source: https://www.khaama.com/taliban-official-labels-ashura-ceremony-as-political-and-foreign-innovation/