Many groups of Tablighi (religious preachers) from here and abroad have sprouted in the western parts of the country.
Some local officials are sceptical of their activities. No group has registered with the government. There are also groups from Raiwind in Pakistan’s Lahore district. The tablighi preach about Islam.
But Mawlawi Khudadad Salehi, head of religious authorities for the western region, calls the sermons “superficial’. “For years I have followed the activities of the Raiwind tablighi in Herat province. What I realise is that their preaching is superficial, and there is no goal. They direct people to do what is good and lawful but not to commit evil.”
Salehi says more than 10,000 people had attended the tablighi meeting in the Khuja Abdullah Ansar area of Herat. They are not educated people, and Afghans can be “damaged” by such groups, says Turyalai Taheri, deputy in the Herat provincial council.
Taheri says tablighi have stayed in the grand mosque of Karukh district and spread “dangerous propaganda”. He alleged some have links with intelligence outfits of neighbouring countries, which he has brought to the notice of Afghan security officials.
Meanwhile, Mawlawi Abdul Qayoom Farooqi, preacher in the Khuja Mohammad Taki grand mosque of Herat confirms some 10 groups of tablighi had visited the mosque and some youths joined their ranks. He said he didn’t know enough about what they said (the alleged dangerous propaganda) to confirm whether it was regarding Islam but there were words that were against national interest but it could be because of their limited knowledge.
Sayed Abdul Wahed Asemi, head of the department of Haj and religious affairs of Herat, defends the tablighi. Their goal is only to preach about religion and not to encourage youth to carry out terrorist or destructive activities. “Tablighi groups are free and don’t interfere in political issues, rather, they preach about religious issues and points of the Shariah to people. They do not have links with terrorist circles.”
Herat police chief Abdul Rawoof Ahmadi says tablighi are under their intelligence lens. The department of Haj and religious affairs also speaks with the responsible individuals in the mosques of Herat. No infringement has been registered yet.
