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The Independent
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
From ‘Sapiens' to ‘The Book of Mormon': The banned books the Taliban deems ‘deviant' and ‘un-Islamic'
Taliban supreme leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada has issued a directive ordering authorities across Afghanistan to identify and remove 'deviant' books from bookstores, school libraries, universities, and public and private institutions. Books including Dante's 14th century allegory The Divine Comedy, Joseph Smith's The Book of Mormon, Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet, and Yuval Noah Hariri's bestselling Sapiens – a wide-reaching history of humankind – have been pulled from circulation. The works of several well-known Islamic scholars and theologians, as well as Iranian intellectuals and Afghan writers, have also been blacklisted. Independent Persian spoke to publishers and school librarians in Herat and Kabul who confirmed that books on women's rights, United Nations edicts, the biographies of Taliban critics, secular government structures, and even those about the former Afghan Republic have been labelled 'deviant' and are now banned from sale, distribution or public access. Four Taliban ministries including the Ministry of Guidance, Hajj and Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Information and Culture, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Higher Education held a meeting on Sunday 13 July to reaffirm enforcement of this directive. During this meeting, the Ministry of Religious Affairs announced that, under an order from Taliban leader Akhundzada, a committee has been formed with representatives from all four ministries. This committee is tasked with reviewing books across the country and referring any 'suspicious content' to clerics for further scrutiny. Noor Mohammad Saqib, the Taliban's Minister for Religious Affairs, referencing what he called a 'special decree' from Akhundzada, stated that books written in recent years with the aim of 'misleading and corrupting society' and distributed in libraries, educational institutions, and public spaces will now be collected and removed. He added that guidelines are being developed for religious teachers and clerics so that they can educate the public about such books 'in light of Sharia principles'. Saqib claimed that Afghanistan has not only suffered from military intervention in recent decades but also from what he called 'cultural attacks'. He alleged that many foreign cultural institutions operating in Afghanistan aimed to 'undermine Islamic and traditional Afghan values'. Addressing Taliban officials, he said: 'It is now our duty to protect and fully introduce this [Islamic] culture to the Mujahid nation [of Afghanistan]'. Criticising books published under the previous Republic, Saqib said they conflicted with Afghanistan's Islamic and traditional values and 'diverted young people from their true goals'. He emphasised that now, under Taliban control, authorities have the opportunity to remove such works and replace them with content that is 'pure, Islamic and aligned with Afghan values'. According to the Taliban leader's decree, any books identified as 'suspicious' or 'deviant' will be handed over to a group of clerics who will evaluate their content and determine whether they should be banned. Previously, Taliban agents from the Ministries of Information and Culture, and Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, had already confiscated hundreds of book titles they labelled 'against national interests' or 'anti-Islam' from libraries and banned their publication and sale. Other Taliban institutions, including the Ministries of Education and Higher Education, have also restricted access to certain books in schools and universities. A banned book list issued by the Taliban's Ministry of Information and Culture and sent to publishers and booksellers last winter prohibited texts that they considered 'against national interests, anti-Islam, in opposition to the Islamic Emirate, containing false beliefs, promoting ideas contrary to Islam' as well as works on women's rights and human rights. Publishers were also given a clear warning that selling these books is completely prohibited, and violators will face punishment. Publishing professionals in Kabul say there is no clear or standardised process for reviewing books under Taliban rule. Any Taliban member, particularly officers from the Promotion of Virtue ministry, can enter a bookstore or library and ban any book they personally deem anti-Islamic or harmful to national interests. A Kabul-based publisher, who asked to remain anonymous, told Independent Persian: 'Since the Taliban returned to power, not only has Afghanistan's once-growing publishing industry collapsed, but even book imports from Iran have been restricted. Taliban border agents now inspect all books, cross out images of living beings and deny entry to many titles.' The publisher added that the Taliban's Ministry of Information and Culture has created a publishing committee made up mostly of clerics and individuals without higher education. 'These people review content, and if a book doesn't match their beliefs, they label it anti-Islamic or against national interests and block its publication'. A source in Herat, who works as a literacy advocate, shared three separate lists of banned books from libraries in Herat with Independent Persian. These lists suggest that Taliban censorship is far more extensive than officially acknowledged. Together, the three lists contain 620 banned titles compiled by the Library Oversight Committee of Herat Schools. Members of this committee have already removed these books from shelves. The listed books are flagged with terms such as 'Shi'ism, praise of traitors, promotion of secularism, democracy, Western freedoms, defence of women, communism, praise of Iran, superstition, anti-Taliban views, UN laws, descriptions of the Republic, praise of music and undesirable content.' Banned authors include both Afghan writers and prominent figures from the wider Islamic world. For example, the Taliban have banned works like Kitab al-Tawhid by Mohammed ibn Abd al-Wahhab; Four Reforms in the Qur'an by Sayyid Abul A'la Maududi; Social Justice in Islam by Sayyid Qutb; biographies and writings of Jamal al-Din al-Afghani; books by Abdullah Azzam; and numerous Iranian intellectuals like Ali Shariati, Morteza Motahari, and Ramin Jahanbegloo. Books by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, including his well-known The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam, are also on the list. Many are marked as containing 'false beliefs, Shi'ite ideology, or heresy'. Currently, the Taliban have no formal procedure for reviewing or censoring books. According to reports, decisions about a book's acceptability are often made arbitrarily and based on personal biases. However, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has said it plans to develop guidelines that will be distributed to imams and teachers so that they can identify 'deviant books' and inform the public about them.
Arab News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan seeks higher 2026 Hajj quota after 455,000 register for pilgrimage
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's religious affairs minister, Sardar Mohammad Yousaf, said on Tuesday the country has requested a higher Hajj quota in proportion to its population for the next year from Saudi Arabia, after early registrations for the pilgrimage reached 455,000 this month. Pakistan's current Muslim population is approximately 230 million, according to the latest census cited by the minister. He added the government had urged the Kingdom to raise the country's Hajj quota from 179,210 to 230,000 in a formal letter, aiming to enable more citizens to perform the annual Islamic pilgrimage. "A gazette notification has ... been issued regarding the population, so based on that population, our [Hajj] quota should be 230,000," Yousaf said during a news conference. "For this, we've written to the Saudi government and demanded [an increase], and a letter has been sent [to them] by the Ministry of Religious Affairs," he continued. "We hope they will consider this [request] and adjust our quota in proportion to our population." Yousaf highlighted that the registration of 455,000 intending pilgrims by the deadline reflected their strong eagerness to perform Hajj. The government announced the initiation of next year's Hajj process early, asking aspiring pilgrims to register themselves first. No fee was required at the registration stage. All registered applicants will now be able to choose between the government and private Hajj schemes. A large portion of the private Hajj quota for 2025 remained unutilized due to delays by tour operators in meeting payment and registration deadlines, while the government fulfilled its full allocation of over 88,000 pilgrims. Private operators attributed the shortfall to technical issues, including payment processing problems and communication breakdowns.
Arab News
09-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
250,000 Pakistanis register for Hajj 2026 as deadline ends today
ISLAMABAD: Some 250,000 Pakistanis have signed up to perform Hajj in 2026 as the deadline for mandatory registration ends today, Wednesday, state media reported. Last month, the Ministry of Religious Affairs announced the launch of the Hajj registration process, which would remain open until July 9. After the deadline, applicants will be able to choose between the government and private Hajj schemes. Intending pilgrims can register through 15 designated banks, and only those who complete the process will be eligible to perform Hajj next year. No fee is required at the registration stage. 'With just one day remaining for the mandatory registration of Hajj 2026, as many as 250,000 Pakistanis have completed the process,' the Associated Press of Pakistan said in a report on Tuesday. 'It is noteworthy to mention that Wednesday, July 9, is the final date for intending pilgrims to register for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage.' People may also submit their applications online, it said, adding that the expenses and other terms and conditions of Hajj 2026 will be issued separately as per the Hajj policy. Registration is mandatory for pilgrims who were left out of the private scheme this year, as well as for Pakistanis residing abroad. Pakistan had received a quota of 179,210 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025, evenly divided between the government and private Hajj operators. However, a major portion of the private quota remained unutilized due to delays by companies in meeting payment and registration deadlines, while the government filled its full allocation of over 88,000 pilgrims. Private operators blamed the situation on technical glitches such as payment issues and communication breakdowns.
Arab News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan prepares for early rollout of Hajj 2026 registration
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs is finalizing preparations to launch early registration for both private and government Hajj 2026 schemes to streamline the pilgrimage process, state media reported on Wednesday. The move follows a directive from Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to begin preparations for Hajj 2026 well in advance. This year's Hajj pilgrimage took place from June 4 to June 9, drawing millions of worshippers to Islam's holiest sites in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan sent more than 115,000 pilgrims under both government and private schemes. 'The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony is finalizing preparations to begin early registration for Hajj 2026 within the next few days,' the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said. It added that advance registration would be mandatory for all intending pilgrims under both the government and private schemes and applicants would have to submit a specified token amount with their registration forms, which would later be adjusted against the total Hajj package cost. Only designated banks will be authorized to handle registrations, which will be a prerequisite for eligibility under the Hajj 2026 program, APP said. Pilgrims will be able to choose between the government and private Hajj schemes after completing the initial registration process. Individuals who missed this year's Hajj under the private scheme must complete a fresh registration to be eligible for Hajj 2026, according to the APP report. 'The registration data will be shared with the Saudi authorities, who will use it to allocate Pakistan's official Hajj quota,' APP said. A formal advertisement detailing the registration procedure and eligibility requirements will be issued in the coming days. Pakistan's Director General Hajj, Abdul Wahab Soomro, said this week the government would strive to make next year's pilgrimage 'even better' for pilgrims, with improved facilities, especially for the elderly. Pakistan began its post-Hajj flight operations on June 11 with the arrival of a Pakistan International Airlines flight, PK-732, in Islamabad carrying 307 pilgrims. The flights are expected to conclude by July 10. According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, more than 11,400 pilgrims, including around 3,000 from Madinah, have returned to Pakistan so far.
Arab News
17-06-2025
- Arab News
Pakistan vows more facilities for elderly pilgrims in ‘even better' Hajj 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Director General Hajj Abdul Wahab Soomro this week vowed that the government would try to ensure next year's pilgrimage is 'even better' for pilgrims, promising more facilities for the elderly ones. This year's Hajj took place from June 4 to June 9, drawing millions of pilgrims to the holy cities in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan sent over 115,000 pilgrims under both the government and private schemes. Speaking at a ceremony held to acknowledge the services of the Pakistani welfare staff during Hajj in Makkah, Soomro said the government introduces new measures every Hajj for its pilgrims and would continue to do so. 'In the next Hajj, we will try to make it even better,' Soomro said on Monday. 'We will try to ensure that aged pilgrims, for example, are not allocated a room above the first floor.' The Pakistani official said the government would also try to ensure that elderly pilgrims are provided accommodations close to the Mashair, or holy sites in Makkah, for their convenience. 'So, these small things that we are adding every year are enriching the overall experience of the pilgrim,' Soomro said. Dr. Syed Ata ur Rehman, Pakistan's secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, also spoke at the event. He reminded authorities that the post-Hajj flight operation will continue until the last Pakistani pilgrim and welfare staff return to the country. 'Therefore, the remaining part of the operation should be carried out with the same diligence, attention and caution so that the glory of this success does not diminish,' Rehman told participants. Pakistan began its post-Hajj flight operation with the arrival of the Pakistan International Airline flight PK-732 in Islamabad on June 11, carrying 307 pilgrims. The country is expected to conclude the operation on July 10. Over 11,400 pilgrims, including around 3,000 from Madinah, have returned to Pakistan so far, as per figures provided by Pakistan's religious affairs minister. The government has announced it has begun preparations for Hajj 2026 as it has received the Saudi Hajj policy and timeline for next year's pilgrimage.
