COMMON ANALYSIS
Last update: January 2023

COI summary

The Afghan Salafists, of whom there are several hundred thousand in Afghanistan, reside mainly in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar, Kunar, and Nuristan [Security 2022, 4.25.1, p. 165].

Salafism in Afghanistan can be traced back to the nineteenth century although it first flourished during the anti-Soviet Jihadi era in the 1980s, when Saudi Arabia among others supported the ‘salafisation’ of the Afghan mujahidin. When the Taliban came to power in the 1990s, they inherited a traditional hostility towards Salafism. Consequently, Salafi teachings were banned, and the Taliban took other measures to prevent its spread [Targeting 2022, 6.6.6, pp. 154-155].

Since August 2021, the Taliban have reportedly been cracking down on Salafis, allegedly arresting and killing members of their community and raiding and closing dozens of their mosques and madrasas [Security 2022, 4.25.1, p. 165].

For additional information on the targeting of the Salafi community linked to their perceived support and affiliation to ISKP, see 3.5. Individuals perceived as supporting the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP)

Risk analysis

Acts reported to be committed against individuals under this profile are of such severe nature that they amount to persecution (e.g. abduction, torture, execution).

The individual assessment of whether there is a reasonable degree of likelihood for the applicant to face persecution should take into account risk-impacting circumstances, such as: province of origin (especially Nangarhar and Kunar), additional individual elements implicating the applicant as being supportive of ISKP, etc.  

Nexus to a reason for persecution

Available information indicates that persecution of this profile is highly likely to be for reasons of (imputed) political opinion or (imputed) religious beliefs.

For those with links to ISKP, exclusion considerations could be relevant to this profile (see the chapter 7. Exclusion).