Hawzah News Agency- In a statement, the party expressed alarm over recent developments and the escalating religious, cultural and social restrictions in the country. The full text of the statement follows:
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Message of Afghanistan's Etedal Party on recent events in the country
Afghanistan's Etedal Party is following with concern the developments of recent years, particularly the events of the past few days in the country. As expected, the scope of this concern has gone beyond political restrictions and now affects the culture, religious beliefs, language and social standing of a large part of the Afghan people.
From the very first days of Taliban rule, half of society's body — women and girls — was gradually pushed out of education, work and social participation. A number of religious and cultural centers, from mosques and Hussainiyas, seminaries and religious schools, were shut down or faced restrictions; universities, media outlets and popular and cultural institutions saw their space for activity shrink; the Persian language and Persian speakers faced serious restrictions in government institutions and higher education; Shia personal status law was not recognized throughout these years; universities and private educational institutions were subjected to unprecedented restrictions; and a number of cultural figures, scholars and community elders were arrested and imprisoned without any apparent reason.
These are not matters that can be met with indifference. Afghanistan can only achieve lasting calm and stability when all its people — regardless of language, religion, ethnicity or social affiliation — see themselves as entitled to rights, respect and standing in this land.
What is happening these days to the Khatam al-Nabiyyin seminary is particularly sensitive for our people for this very reason. Over nearly two decades, this complex has become one of the most important religious, scholarly and cultural centers for Shia Muslims in the capital, housing a mosque, a Hussainiya, educational seminaries, a library and numerous scholarly and cultural institutions. The central office of Afghanistan's Shia Scholars Council was also located in this complex for years, and the center is linked to the name and legacy of the late Ayatollah Mohammad Asif Mohseni and part of the contemporary history of Afghanistan's Shia community.
Given such a background, a military incursion into this complex, the sealing of parts of it, pressure to evacuate the seminary and the detention of a number of teachers and students cannot be considered a simple matter by us or by the people. The Taliban's Ministry of Justice, as in many other cases, has made one-sided claims about the ownership and political affiliation of this complex. But from the perspective of Afghanistan's Etedal Party, even the existence of a legal dispute cannot justify violating the sanctity of an institution that holds a religious and cultural place in the collective conscience of the people. Dealing with such a center without considering its social sensitivity and sanctity will mean nothing to the people but an assault on part of their identity.
People must certainly be aware that if they remain indifferent today to the closure of a mosque, a Hussainiya, a seminary or a media outlet, tomorrow they will certainly face even greater restrictions. Silence in the face of the gradual disappearance of religious and cultural institutions helps normalize the very process that ultimately narrows and further narrows the space for a society's social life. Saying this is not a call for excitement and confrontation; it is a call for awareness, responsibility and wise defense of rights that, if not safeguarded today, will not be easy to reclaim tomorrow.
It must be noted that concern about Khatam al-Nabiyyin is not separate from what is happening in other parts of people's lives. Pressure on certain religious rituals, restrictions on a number of Shia centers, the question of the legal status of the Shia faith, concern over the marginalization of the Persian language in official structures, the detention of elders and social figures, and controversial decisions regarding certain settlements and people's properties have together created a dangerous atmosphere. It is clear that the continuation of such a situation will further distance the people from the self-styled and rigid emirate and will continue to harm national cohesion and unity.
Afghanistan's Etedal Party, emphasizing that these actions in fact amount to confronting the culture, faith and religion of a large part of the people of this land, warns that the continuation of this process — which leads to the silent death and systematic elimination of an entire community — will not only wound the historical conscience of this nation but also endanger the country's stability.
The people of Afghanistan, who throughout history have always stood against injustice and being ignored, will not remain silent if this course continues. History testifies that no oppression has ever endured and no right has ever been eliminated by force and coercion.
We call on all honorable people, political elites, responsible institutions, scholars, intellectuals and elders of various segments of society to defend the identity, culture and legitimate rights of all the people of this land against this dangerous process — with the language of wisdom and logic, but with firmness and steadfastness.
Peace be upon you and God's mercy
Afghanistan's Etedal Party
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