According to Iraf, the Taliban have recently required Shia students to sign a written commitment. A section of the document reportedly states: “Considering that the people of Afghanistan are followers of the Ahl-e-Sunnat wal-Jamaat and adhere to the school of Imam-e-Azam Abu Hanifa, I also commit to following this school in order to promote unity and cohesion.”
Students say this mandatory pledge, which in some cases has reportedly been accompanied by physical intimidation, is perceived as coercion to change their religious beliefs. Some students claim that when they objected to its content, they were threatened with expulsion from university.
How Did It Begin?
A few weeks earlier, students at a private university in Herat reported being forced to sign a 14-article pledge emphasizing adherence to Sunni Hanafi jurisprudence.
Shia students described the measure as “pressure to change their sect,” adding that Taliban officials had warned them they would be barred from continuing their studies if they refused to sign.
According to a copy of the pledge obtained by media outlets, students are not only required to accept the Hanafi school but also to attend congregational prayers and comply with outward religious practices such as growing a beard.
Similar reports have also emerged from Bamiyan University, where the forced signing of such pledges has sparked serious concern among students and their families.
In this regard, a professor at the Faculty of Sharia at Bamiyan University reportedly instructed students to sign a commitment document. Clause six of the pledge requires Shia students to adhere to the Hanafi school of thought.
Tensions escalated when several Shia students opposed this clause, first leading to a verbal dispute with the professor and then to a confrontation with some Sunni students.
According to eyewitness accounts, shortly after the argument, two armed men in plainclothes—whom students identified as Taliban members—entered the university campus and violently assaulted protesting students in front of others.
One student present at the scene, speaking on condition of anonymity, told media outlets: “That day, fifteen students were beaten with rifle butts, fists, slaps, and anything they had in their hands. Shia students, with blood running down their faces, took refuge in corners.”
Witnesses say the attack created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation across the university, and since then, a noticeable shift has occurred in Bamiyan’s academic environment.
Student Response: Imposed Identity and Widespread Discrimination
Students emphasize that the pledge effectively amounts to “forced religious conversion” and a clear violation of their fundamental rights.
A student expelled from Herat University said: “The Taliban are forcing us to accept the Hanafi school through threats of expulsion and deprivation of education. This is a discriminatory project aimed at erasing the religious and social identity of the Hazara Shiite community.”
Students in Bamiyan also report that, following the incident, some of their classmates have left the university out of fear.
As of the time of reporting, local Taliban authorities in Bamiyan and Herat have not issued any response regarding these incidents.
However, analysts consider these measures part of a broader Taliban policy of “religious homogenization,” which has previously manifested in restrictions on girls’ education and religious minorities.
