Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Afghan Taliban, arrived in Kabul on Friday for the first time since the group seized control of Afghanistan in August of last year.
Since the return of the Taliban, Akhundzada has not been filmed or photographed in public. On the second day of a meeting of religious scholars and tribal elders discussing significant issues, he spoke.
Over 3,000 scholars and influential figures from across Afghanistan, according to the event’s organizers, will participate until Saturday (July 2).
During his Pashto-language speech, the Taliban supreme leader defended his government’s policies and stated that the Taliban had the right to implement the Islamic system in its entirety.
“The establishment of an Islamic system is not only good news for the Afghan people but Muslims everywhere.” I had received congratulatory messages from Muslims around the globe.
According to Akhundzada, it was never the Taliban’s intention to target Afghans during their resistance against foreign invaders. However, he continued, “we had no choice but to fight those Afghans who were defending the foreign occupation.”
“When the Americans left Afghanistan, we declared amnesty for all and told them they were forgiven despite their brutality against the Mujahideen,” said the Taliban leader.
He urged government officials to put an end to corruption in all government agencies and to avoid awarding positions based on favoritism and friendship.
“If such ills are a part of our government, it will be in direct opposition to the struggle we waged to establish an Islamic system,” said Akhundzada.
He continued by defending the Islamic Emirate’s policies and stating that the government faced challenges from the international community.
“When we begin implementing the decisions of Islamic courts, there will be more opposition to our government,” he said, adding, “We should not care about the world’s criticism and instead work to implement the Islamic system.”
Earlier, speakers at the event vowed to defend their nation regardless of external and internal threats.
In his address, Afghan Prime Minister Mullah Hasan urged the delegates to interrogate those who opposed the Islamic administration.
The state’s Bakhtar News Agency quoted the premier as saying, “Now that the Islamic system has been established, we must do all we can to strengthen it.”
“You are well aware that under the Islamic system, all those who fought against the Mujahideen have been pardoned, but they continue to cause problems for our nation from abroad,” he said.
In the meantime, Afghan Defense Minister Mullah Yaqoob requested a religious edict from the participants as a solution to several issues. He requested that the scholars identify flaws in the implementation of Islamic Sharia and urged them to propose solutions.
“Neither Islamic nor non-Islamic nations have acknowledged our system. Yaqoob added, “Give us advice on how to formulate a foreign policy that could lead to the government’s recognition.
Taliban forces raid a residence and kill three
Today, Taliban security forces raided a Kabul compound and killed three people.
Taliban officials stated that the armed men intended to fire upon the conference attendees. They also released a video depicting three bodies scattered throughout a house.
When asked about the incident during a press conference in Kabul, Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid described it as “small.”
According to him, the incident did not interfere with the meeting. He stated that no one was injured when the suspects threw a hand grenade at the raiding party in response to the security forces gunfire.
Separately, a diplomatic source reported that two to three rockets were launched at the location of the grand meeting, with one landing near the Polytechnic school where the guests were staying. A firefight was also reported near the location.
Later, several videos featuring heavy gunfire were shared on social media.
Local and international journalists were denied access to the “Loya Jirga” tent where the meeting was taking place. Only Afghan state television, radio, and social media broadcast the speeches’ audio. However, no images or videos of the conference were released to the media.
Policies for females
Since their August returns to power, the Taliban have increasingly restricted freedoms, especially those of women and girls.
The United Nations and several countries, including the United States, have criticized these policies and urged the Taliban to “immediately reverse the policies and practices that restrict the human rights and basic freedoms of Afghan women and girls.”
In May, Akhundzada ordered all women in the country to wear the full-body burqa in public. It is traditional and respectful for them to wear a chador (a full-body burqa), he had stated.
The Taliban have also announced several additional restrictions, including a request that Afghanistan’s television stations cease broadcasting dramas and soap operas starring female actors.
Last year, Taliban authorities decreed that women wishing to travel longer distances than a few kilometers must be accompanied by a male relative to receive transportation.
The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice issued guidance requiring all vehicle owners to only offer rides to women wearing hijabs.
The Afghan government has also closed secondary schools for girls in the country.
Several nations and organizations have offered to pay teachers as the international community has made the right to education for all a sticking point in negotiations over aid and recognition of the Taliban regime.
In a similar vein, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet urged the Taliban on Friday to seek inspiration from other Muslim nations to improve the rights of women and end their “systematic oppression.”
She was quoted by AFP as saying, “I strongly urge the de facto authorities to engage with predominantly Muslim countries with experience in promoting women and girls’ rights, as guaranteed by international law, in this religious context”.
