AhlulBayt News Agency: Najibullah Atai, a Shia student from Kabul, told the ABNA reporter that compared to the past, ISIS's threat has significantly reduced. "Four years ago, several Shia religious centers were targeted by ISIS, and many people were martyred. Thankfully, this threat has decreased since the Taliban came to power," he said.
Appreciating the security provided by the Taliban government, Atai added, "We are thankful to the Islamic Emirate for their fight against ISIS. Although there have been a few ISIS attacks in recent years, they are far fewer compared to the pre-Taliban era."
However, he warned that despite this optimism, the ISIS threat should not be ignored or underestimated. "There needs to be a solid and coordinated security plan to permanently eliminate ISIS so that deadly incidents of the past do not repeat," he said. Atai emphasized that ISIS is a common enemy of all ethnic and religious communities in Afghanistan, and public cooperation with the Taliban is essential for ensuring security.
Security concerns still remain
On the other hand, some other Shia citizens of Kabul are still concerned about security threats from ISIS. Zia Ahmadi, another resident, said that earlier, Shia mosques and religious centers had private guards for protection, but the Taliban have now disarmed and removed those guards.
He stated, "ISIS, which is an enemy of both Shias and Sunnis, has recently carried out attacks on Taliban government offices as well. This proves that it is everyone's enemy, including the Taliban's. Therefore, this threat must be countered through national unity and cooperation with the Taliban."
Ahmadi also recalled that during Muharram last year, Taliban forces foiled a planned ISIS attack on Ashura ceremonies in the Kota Sangi area of Kabul, which gave people some confidence in the Taliban's ability to provide security.
ISIS attacks still continue
Despite this relative improvement, ISIS has continued to carry out deadly attacks against Shias even under Taliban rule. These include the attack on Kosar-e-Danish coaching center, the Maywand sports stadium, a city bus in Kabul’s Dasht-e-Barchi area, attacks on Shia mosques in Baghlan province, several attacks on Shia scholars in Herat, and the recent attack on Shias in Daikundi.
Dissatisfaction Over Religious Freedom Persists
While Afghan Shias and ethnic minorities have acknowledged some improvement in security under the Taliban’s interim government, dissatisfaction remains regarding religious freedom. Recently, Ayatollah Salehi, head of the Shia Ulema Council of Afghanistan, urged the Taliban during the Eid prayer sermon to officially recognize the Jafari school of thought and respect the religious practices of Shias.
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