Shia Clerics: Taliban Must Ensure Equal Role for All

The Shia Ulema Council at a press conference on Tuesday urged the Taliban to ensure that they will treat all faiths and ethnicities with equality and justice.

They said the next government should ensure the participation of all religions and ethnicities.

The clerics called on the Taliban to ensure the safety and security of women and minorities.

“The Shia people never support violence and war, they all support peace,” said Ayatollah Salehi, a Shia cleric.

The clerics also issued an 18 point declaration.

“The declaration clarifies the working framework of the Afghanistan Shia Ulema Council,” said Sayed Hussain Alimi Balkhi, a cleric.

Some other participants at the conference called on the Taliban to help protect the gains the country has made in the past 20 years so that all ethnic groups can work equally in government institutions.

“Everyone in Afghanistan wants security, they want peace and the formation of an inclusive government,” said Ali Ahmadi, a cleric.