In a controversial statement, the Taliban’s Minister of Higher Education called critics of the group’s penal code “infidels,” a statement that has sparked widespread reactions.

Nida Mohammad Nadim made the statement at a ceremony in Paktia, claiming that Taliban laws were formulated based on Sharia and Islam.

In contrast, activists, political figures, and a number of religious scholars have called the code contrary to Islamic teachings and human rights.

Critics say this approach limits freedom of expression and suppresses any dissent under the religious label.