Reports highlight Taliban’s forced religious conversions of Afghan Shia Muslims
Recent human rights and media reports have revealed increasing pressure by the Taliban on Afghanistan’s Shia Muslims, with dozens of residents in the northeastern province of Badakhshan allegedly forced to change their religious beliefs under threat.
According to informed sources, the Taliban has coerced at least 80 Shia people to convert to Sunni Islam over the past few months, compelling them to recite the Shahada, a declaration typically used when converting to Islam from other religions.
A former government official from Badakhshan, who chose to remain anonymous, stated that the Taliban governor of Nasi Darwaz, Jamal Khan Fateh, forced over 50 Shia men to change their sect. The official added that these pressures extended beyond men, affecting women and children as well.
Local media circulated videos showing Taliban fighters forcing individuals to recite the Shahada under duress. Sources also indicated that Fateh conducted nighttime village patrols to pressure locals into changing their beliefs. Taliban members expressed “joy” on social media over what they called “calling people to monotheism,” referring to the forced conversions.
Local sources confirmed that the campaign of forced conversions began after the Taliban’s takeover but intensified recently, possibly to divert attention from internal conflicts. Former Afghan diplomat Fayazuddin Ghiyathi suggested the Taliban uses this campaign as propaganda to mask internal divisions.
Additionally, reports indicate the Taliban has established new religious schools in Badakhshan, compelling locals to send their children for religious education aligned with Taliban beliefs. Shia Muslims expressed concerns over these policies, warning they threaten religious freedoms and deepen social and sectarian divisions.
A recent U.S. State Department report on global religious freedom noted that Afghan religious minorities, particularly Shias, face systematic discrimination and violence, with no Taliban efforts to protect their rights or places of worship.
