Taliban Restore Tombstone of Renowned Afghan Poet Khalilullah Khalili

Following public outcry over reports that the grave of Khalilullah Khalili, a prominent Persian-language poet and intellectual, had been desecrated, sources from Kabul University reported that Taliban authorities returned his tombstone to its original location on Saturday evening and cleared the surrounding area of tree debris.

According to the sources, university staff began the cleanup operation around the grave late at night. Previously, work involving heavy machinery had taken place at the site, sparking concern among students and social media users. Anxiety peaked when students discovered on Saturday that Khalili’s tombstone was missing.

The Taliban administration had reportedly turned the burial site into a storage area for cut tree branches. Amid growing criticism, Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat posted a message on social platform X on Sunday, claiming the grave had not been “destroyed,” but merely “cleaned.” Taliban-linked accounts also stated that the group’s Ministry of Higher Education plans to build a park at the site.

In response, Nasir Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, strongly condemned the Taliban’s actions, describing them as part of a broader effort to erase the country’s collective memory and cultural symbols. On Sunday, Faiq wrote on X, “Ustad Khalili was a shining star of Persian literature and a voice for the oppressed and for freedom.”

Faiq emphasized that the damage to the grave was not accidental but instead a clear sign of the Taliban’s ongoing attempts to erase Afghanistan’s intellectual, cultural, and historical foundations. He added that from the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddha statues to attacks on modern heritage, the Taliban have repeatedly demonstrated opposition to national and cultural values.

Prominent cultural figures and civil society organizations also reacted strongly, suggesting that such actions would not be forgotten and would further motivate efforts to defend Afghanistan’s cultural and historical identity.

Khalilullah Khalili, a celebrated Afghan poet, historian, and writer, died in 1987 in Islamabad, Pakistan. In accordance with his will, his remains were eventually repatriated to Afghanistan. In 2012, under the administration of former President Hamid Karzai, his body was transferred from Peshawar to Kabul University, near the resting place of Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Afghani.

Khalili’s tomb was among the first cultural landmarks restored in Kabul after years of turmoil and is regarded as a symbol of Afghanistan’s cultural identity. Beyond his timeless literary works, Khalili was widely recognized as a voice for justice, national pride, and public enlightenment in Afghanistan.