Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, has called on religious scholars to play a stronger role in promoting the protection of the Islamic system and Afghanistan’s national interests among the public.

Speaking at a turban-tying ceremony at Jamia Fath al-Uloom in Kabul on Wednesday, Baradar urged scholars to adopt a softer tone in their sermons and public addresses.

He said that alongside teaching religious obligations, scholars should help foster a sense of responsibility toward safeguarding the Islamic system and national unity.

Baradar described madrasas as the sacred foundations of religious learning, moral education, spiritual and intellectual development, and Islamic movements within Muslim societies.

He noted that in Afghanistan, religious teachings and the concept of sacred jihad originated in madrasas, spread from villages to cities, and eventually translated into action and resistance.

He also emphasized the role of madrasas in the intellectual reform of society, the removal of what he described as un-Islamic cultural influences, and the preservation of Islamic traditions.

Baradar stressed that religious schools must remain committed to their original mission and values under all circumstances.

Amnesty International on Tuesday called on world leaders to immediately stop the forced return of refugees and asylum seekers to Afghanistan, citing serious human rights concerns and warning that such actions violate international law.

In a statement, the rights group said millions of Afghan refugees were unlawfully deported in 2025 from countries including Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and Germany, despite the human rights situation inside Afghanistan. Amnesty said the returns have taken place amid intensified restrictions on fundamental freedoms, particularly affecting women and girls.

According to the organization, ongoing violations include limits on freedom of movement, bans on women working with the United Nations and non-governmental organizations, and the continued exclusion of girls above the age of 12 from education.

Amnesty International’s Regional Director for South Asia, Smriti Singh, said the forced deportations ignore the reasons Afghans fled their country in the first place. “This rush to forcibly return people to Afghanistan disregards the serious dangers they face if sent back,” she said, adding that such actions violate the binding international principle of non-refoulement.

Rights groups claim the human rights situation in Afghanistan has significantly deteriorated since the Islamic Emirate regained power in 2021, with restrictions on media freedom and women’s rights drawing widespread international concern. In October, the United Nations established an independent investigative mechanism to examine alleged international crimes and violations of international law in the country.

The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly rejected such allegations, stating that the rights of citizens are protected within the framework of Sharia law.