Dostum Calls Taliban Closure of Khatam al-Nabiyyin Seminary an Act of Bullying
Abdul Rashid Dostum, former vice president and leader of the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan, has described the closure of the Khatam al-Nabiyyin seminary and the arrest of a number of its teachers and students as a discriminatory and bullying measure by the Taliban administration.
In a statement on Tuesday, 17 September, he called on the Taliban to stop the move and release those detained as soon as possible. Dostum said protesters were also met with violence and pressure.
According to him, the Taliban administration closed the centre with “disrespect” and discriminatory treatment, and arrested and imprisoned a number of teachers and students of the Khatam al-Nabiyyin school. He said the incident was part of the Taliban administration’s broader behaviour toward different ethnic groups.
Dostum added that the Taliban administration has not only targeted Hazaras, but, according to him, has also resorted to violence, injustice and denial of rights against Uzbeks, Turkmen and Tajiks. He claimed that in different parts of the country, the lands and homes of Hazara, Uzbek and Tajik residents are being seized on various pretexts.
The leader of the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan also said these actions have created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity, and that silencing dissenting voices has driven people to despair and hopelessness. He warned that no administration can endure through oppression and tyranny.
The Khatam al-Nabiyyin seminary is one of Afghanistan’s well-known religious educational centres, and any action against such institutions usually draws widespread reaction among religious and political groups.
