Local sources in Afghanistan report that amid Disputes over determining the day of Eid, the Taliban are pressuring Shia religious scholars in several provinces to hold Eid prayers according to directives that conflict with their Religious beliefs.

According to AnsarPress, these sources say that some clerics have refused to comply with Taliban orders due to jurisprudential differences. As a result, a number of them have been detained. These actions have raised growing concerns about religious freedoms and pressure on minority groups in the country.

Based on information from Herat province, several religious figures-including Mohammad Akbari, head of religious schools in the southwest zone and of Sadeqiya Seminary; Khodadad Ehsani, Friday prayer leader of Al-Mahdi township in Jebrail and head of Ayatollah Mohaqiq Kabuli`s office; Mohammad Akbari, former head of the Ulama Council of Mohammadi township and director of Al-Yasin Seminary; and Rajab Elmi-Zada, director of Al-Yasin Seminary-have reportedly been arrested for refusing to sign authorization forms issued by the Taliban`s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice regarding the holding of Eid prayers.

Reports also indicate that in Balkh province, Taliban forces have been searching for certain mosque imams-particularly Shia clerics-who declined to follow orders to conduct Eid al-Fitr prayers.

Sources add that in most provinces today, Eid prayers are being held in a largely compulsory manner, with Shia scholars forced either to comply or to conduct the prayers in a limited and restricted form. This situation contradicts previous agreements and their religious jurisprudence, and has placed significant pressure on these clerics.

These developments come as the Taliban-unlike all other Islamic countries-declared Thursday as the first day of Shawwal and insisted on holding Eid prayers on that day.

Previously, a number of Shia scholars had traveled to Kandahar and reached an agreement with Taliban officials that, due to differences between Hanafi and Ja`fari jurisprudence, individuals would be free to determine the day of Eid and perform prayers according to their own Religious rulings. However, local sources say this agreement has not been upheld in practice, and pressure has intensified in some plaes.

That said, the situation is not uniform across the country. Local sources indicate that in Kabul and Bamiyan, there have been no reports of arrests or coercion related to Eid prayers, whereas pressure remains tangible and ongoing in provinces such as Herat and Balkh.

Observers warn that such actions could have serious consequences for religious freedoms and the security of minorities in Afghanistan, contributing to an atmosphere of fear and coercion among religious scholars. The targeting of Shia clerics over Religious differences has not only raised alarm in religious and social circles but has also deepened sectarian divides in the country.

Given the ongoing disputes over the timing of Eid in Afghanistan, analysts believe that enforcing mandatory Eid prayers could heighten sectarian tensions and potentially erode public trust in governing authorities and official religious institutions.