HERAT -- Following the arrest of three members of the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS), allegedly responsible for an April attack on a Shia mosque in Herat, the families of the victims are demanding justice.
The men were captured during a June 2 security operation in Herat city, local officials in Herat province announced.
In the attack claimed by ISIS on a Shia mosque April 29 in Guzara district, six civilians, including a woman and a child, were killed.
Several ISIS members participated, ISIS said.
![Mourners gather April 30 in Guzara district, Herat province, to bury their loved ones who were killed April 29 by an ISIS attack on a Shia mosque. [Emran/Salaam Times]](/cnmi_st/images/2024/06/11/46812-a_3-739_416.webp)
Mourners gather April 30 in Guzara district, Herat province, to bury their loved ones who were killed April 29 by an ISIS attack on a Shia mosque. [Emran/Salaam Times]
The victims included 17-year-old Mohammad Ali, who had just arrived at the mosque for prayer.
His mother, Fatema Rezayee, called her only son's killers "bloodthirsty criminals."
"My husband passed away 11 years ago from an illness, and my only hope was my son. He was in the 11th grade, and I worked in people's homes to support his education," Rezayee told Salaam Times.
"I lived a poor life with my son and two daughters ... ISIS took away my only hope. He was innocent and never harmed anyone," she said.
As a grieving mother, she feels powerless but eagerly awaits the punishment of the killers, she said.
Demand for justice
The sorrow and pain inflicted by ISIS are "immense," said Abdul Hakim Rezaei, 54, Mohammad Ali's uncle.
The perpetrators must face the consequences, he told Salaam Times.
Twenty-year-old Mohammad Ali Akhlaqi, whose father, Abdul Azim Akhlaqi, served as the Imam of the mosque and was killed April 29, also demanded justice for his family.
"My father was a religious scholar and the breadwinner of our family. My brother and three sisters are now orphans," he said.
"ISIS members are criminals and bloodthirsty, and they should not receive any mercy. According to Islamic law, these individuals should face their punishment," he added.
Recent ISIS attacks across Afghanistan have incited outrage among Afghans, who demand strong and decisive action against the terrorist group.
The only way to prevent further ISIS attacks is to take fighting against ISIS seriously, Jamaluddin Hussaini, a resident of Herat city, said.
"ISIS militants flee the scene after killing the innocent and then launch similar attacks," he said.
"We rarely hear about ISIS members receiving punishment after being arrested. They are murderers, and according to Islamic law, which we all believe in, they should face the consequences of their actions," Hussaini said.
How can we activate it?
Reply4 Comment
In my opinion, the way Fatemiyoun is supported and financed by Iran, ISIS is supported and financed by Saudi Arabia to kill Shiites. There are also theories that ISIS is a Jewish intelligence project that wants to defame the religion of Islam with their criminal acts. What ISIS does is not found anywhere in Islam. If the beginning of Islam is looked at, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did not fight against any non-Muslim, nor did he allow Muslims to kill anyone, from the beginning of his Prophet-hood until 13 years when he migrated to Medina. After migration to Madinah, the Prophet of Islam was forced to take up his sword and allow his followers to fight against the infidels. At that time, the polytheists of Makkah went to Medina to attack the said city, but their attacks were repulsed in Badr desert. From this writing, I mean that Islam does not allow anyone to kill a non-Muslim as long as the non-Muslim community not harm the Muslims and not kill the Muslims. The peaceful nature of Islam is evident from the events of recent years, as the non-Muslims burn the Holy Quran and insult this divine book, while no Muslim anywhere in the world has insulted any Christian, Jewish or other book. Through Salam Times, I ask all Muslims of the world, especially Afghans, to take advantage of the skills and capacities of non-Muslims in the world instead of being hostile towards non-Muslims. We are all descendants of the same Adam and Eve, we should not take up arms against each other and we should n
Reply4 Comment
We will not say that there are no Daesh members in Afghanistan; there will be very few, and they are like one person among hundreds of thousands, and this is not only in Afghanistan But there are also developed countries like Europe that have a very organized intelligence system that even a fly cannot fly without being detected. So their presence in Afghanistan is certain, yet even so, the Taliban's intelligence, within the frameworks of the Ministries of Defense and Interior, has arrested 17 of their members on charges of having connections with ISIS. According to the information, these individuals are suspected of sharing important information with the ISIS group and providing them with coordinates during attacks, and they are currently being interrogated. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid also informed the media that from August 2021 to March 2023, the Taliban killed around 1,100 ISIS members in various provinces and imprisoned approximately 1,700 people. So, I say that if the Taliban are arresting people on charges of having connections with ISIS, they will certainly not allow anyone else to be recruited by ISIS.
Reply4 Comment
Afghans are capable of many things, but given the limited resources in Afghanistan, they mainly produce knives, saws, and axes. All other weapons and war equipment are imported or sent from foreign countries. Afghans have been Muslims since the early days of Islam and adhere to a moderate form of Islam. Along with aggressive weapons, aggressive ideas are also being imported from abroad, causing internal conflicts and violence among Afghans. Although the current rulers have a history of killing and still cause indirect harm, direct killings have significantly decreased. Given this situation, we urge the Taliban rulers to utilize their resources against ISIS, the Northern Alliance, and other destructive elements who are causing harm under the guise of "preserving democracy in a dictatorship." They should continue this effort until peace is restored in Afghanistan. The new government should also seek to establish relations with the international community, particularly the United States, Britain, Germany, France, and India, as these countries can aid in Afghanistan's reconstruction and development. On the other hand, China, Russia, and Pakistan are struggling to meet their citizens' needs and foods and cannot offer substantial help.
Reply4 Comment