The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has stated in its latest report that 33 Ismaili Jamaat Khana centres in Badakhshan province have been closed by the Taliban since the beginning of this year.
According to the report, the Taliban cited the presence of prayer niches (mihrabs) in these centres as the reason, saying that the buildings should be used as mosques. Several Jamaat Khana centres in the districts of Zebak, Ishkashim, and Wakhan have been closed.
UNAMA said that a request by Ismaili community elders to reopen the centres was rejected. The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, said that decisions regarding these buildings were made based on local assessments.
The report also mentions restrictions on some Ashura ceremonies and the detention of several people over the installation of symbols related to the religious occasion.
