The Taliban regime that is bound by cash in Afghanistan makes farmers depressed by the country paying for what is called charity or ‘zakat’ tax on their land and harvest, describing payment as an obligation in Islamic law, RFE / RL reports.
War, drought, and Covid-19 have broken farmers in Afghanistan.
Now, the farmers who lost money to grow plants for the past year said that the Taliban handled them another crippling blow, the report said.
Charity tax is being collected despite the fact that farmers themselves are among 14 million Afghans who are said to have the world food program that has faced acute hunger.
Farmers said they had to pay 2.5 percent tax on the value estimated by the Taliban tax collector was in value.
The Taliban justifies his charity tax as one of the five Islamic pillars which are considered obligations for all Muslims.
‘Zakat’ is different from voluntary actions to give a charity gift because of goodness or generosity, the report said.
This is intended to be mandatory for those who get income above a certain amount, and are based on one’s income and their property value.
The ‘zakat’ receiver is intended to be a poor and need, struggling to Islam, people who are enslaved or indebted, stranded travelers, and soldiers who struggle to protect the Muslim community.
Those who collect ‘zakat’ are also compensated for the work they do.
Tax critics include Islamic scholars and aid workers who note that the practice failed to relieve poverty in the Muslim world, added the report.
They argue that funds are often wasted and mismanaged.
Ghor Province residents denied the ministry claim that the Taliban did not provide tax payment notices, added the report.
The Taliban tax billing process began when a local guerrilla posted what was called a night letter in a local mosque and on the wall of housing compounds, added the report.
Farmers in the Central Province of Afghanistan also said that the arms of the Taliban had invaded their homes at night to demand that they pay tithing and charity taxes.
Those without money to make payments said the Taliban had taken their cattle instead – making their families more dependent on humanitarian assistance in the coming months, the report added.
In Kabul, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Taliban-led government said it collected charity taxes from farmers, breeders, and people with small garden plots to increase income and increase the country’s “independence”.