“Tribal Elders and the Ulema” Gather for the Taliban’s Grand Gathering

"VAN" (Afghanistan Bureau - 28.06.2022) :: The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, announced that a gathering of Islamic clerics will soon be convened. The gathering will bring many tribal elders and the Ulema from every province and district together in Kabul.

The gathering will take three days and focus on various issues, according to the sources, who also added that approximately three people, mainly clerics, from each village are invited to attend the gathering.

Without providing a specific date, a senior Taliban official, Zabihullah Mujahid announced on his Twitter handle that the Taliban leadership would convene the gathering of Islamic clerics at the Ulema’s persistent request.

The Kabul Polytechnic University, where the event is organized, has, however, suspended classes for an eight-day period beginning on Sunday, June 27th, suggesting that the gathering will take place sometime this week.

Nevertheless, the gathering will reportedly take place on Wednesday, according to sources in the local news outlets.

The issue of the reopening of the girls’ schools will be discussed by a gathering of the clerics, according to Anas Haqqani, the Interior Minister of the Taliban’s government, who stated this some time ago on two separate occasions, in an interview with CNN and while speaking to a large audience in the southeast province of Khost.

However, there are no indications as to what the agenda for the upcoming gathering of the clerics will be.

While spokesperson Mujahid specifically mentions “tribal elders” and “Islamic Ulema” as the participants of the gathering of the Taliban, which is to be convened in the Loya Jirga tent in Kabul, the participation of women and other concerned groups yet remains unclear.

Meanwhile, a top Human Rights Watch, Heather Barr, made a remark on the gathering of the Taliban, that a decision-making body such as a Jirga, which excludes women and other groups is not “legitimate”.
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