Mullah Hibatullah, the leader of the Taliban, has published an Eid message on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr. This time, he has attempted to adopt a calm tone, unlike his previous messages that displayed defiance to the world, glorified war and martyrdom, and advocated for the Taliban’s adherence to their principles, including the enforcement of strict Sharia law and hostility towards the West. In this message, the Taliban leader has tried to mitigate the negative consequences of his previous messages, which sparked widespread global condemnation due to their medieval approach to governance, particularly regarding women’s rights and hostility towards the West. It is evident that the Taliban’s stance on women, citizens, and human rights remains unchanged, yet they intermittently endeavor to deceive the international community, portraying themselves as proponents of engagement and cooperation. Through this tactic, they seek to diminish international criticism of their governance style and lay the groundwork for the legitimization of their regime. However, despite these efforts, Mullah Hibatullah’s recent Eid message bears little difference from his previous ones and is also accompanied by paradoxes and deceptive lies.
In his Eid message, Mullah Hibatullah stated that the Taliban are committed to their “promises and pledges” and seek to have good relations with other countries. Interestingly, while Hibatullah regards the Taliban regime as an independent and non-aligned military system, he also acknowledges accountability to the Americans. The Taliban’s commitment to the Americans was not to allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against American interests. However, numerous reports from international media suggest that various terrorist groups are currently present in Afghanistan, with Al-Qaeda’s activities increasing after the Taliban’s takeover, and multiple centers under their control in various parts of the country. The former Al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was killed by American drones in the Wazir Akbar Khan district, a heavily populated area of Kabul. Does the strong presence of Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations in Afghanistan not imply that the Taliban have handed Afghanistan’s soil to America’s enemies and failed to fulfill their commitment to the Americans?
In recent days, drone surveillance over Kandahar and other provinces of Afghanistan has increased. Presumably, Mullah Hibatullah, considering this issue, has stated that the Taliban group wants countries around the world to pay attention to the “dignity, interests, and sovereignty of Afghanistan.” What the Taliban leader fails to address is that the dignity and interests of Afghanistan can only be secured if the governance system in the country changes. All citizens, regardless of ethnicity, language, or religion, must see themselves reflected in the political system, and the country’s economy must be managed by committed and competent individuals to create conditions for economic growth and wealth generation, enabling people to live prosperous lives without resorting to extreme measures for survival or becoming refugees in other countries, enduring various humiliations and miseries. In other words, one should not expect the world to uphold Afghanistan’s dignity and respect while its citizens lack dignity and respect in their land, with no conducive environment for dignified living, forcing them to either migrate to other countries due to economic hardships or endure as marginalized within their own country, reliant on global aid.
Another noteworthy point is that Afghanistan, as a vast landmass, does not have intrinsic value; rather, its significance is contingent upon the importance and credibility of its citizens. Impoverished, disenfranchised, and illiterate people cannot play a positive role in international relations; instead, they always burden others and thus do not command respect and dignity from others. Another issue is that Mullah Hibatullah should be asked to what extent he values the dignity and respect of the inhabitants of Afghanistan, given that he seeks from foreigners respect and dignity for this country. Currently, millions of people have either fled to other countries out of fear of the ruthless Taliban fighters or due to economic hardships, enduring the worst conditions. If Mullah Hibatullah truly cares about Afghanistan’s dignity and honor, as someone who holds the fate of the country in his hands, he should strive to create conditions where millions of displaced citizens are not forced to flee the country and become refugees.
In his message, the Taliban leader has stated that the “implementation of Islamic law” is a priority for this group. The problem in this regard stems, on one hand, from the Taliban’s rigid and medieval interpretation of Sharia law and Islamic laws, devoid of any flexibility, adaptation, or moderation. On the other hand, with the return of the Taliban, Afghanistan’s judicial and legal system, which was moving towards modernization, has been destroyed. Now, the Taliban’s judiciary and legal system are so ineffective and archaic that often the judgments of Taliban judges become a subject of ridicule. In such a poisoned atmosphere, talking about implementing Sharia law, justice, and ending oppression not only holds no meaning but also reflects the Taliban leader’s ignorance of daily realities. The Taliban’s judicial system is so tainted and antiquated that it is incapable of providing a proper definition of justice.
Mullah Hibatullah has claimed that the Taliban regime is the same Sharia-based system that has established “peace, unity, and brotherhood” in society. Regarding the Islamic nature of the Taliban regime, others should judge, not Mullah Hibatullah himself, who is at the helm of this system. So far, the outcome of this “Islamic system” has been nothing but economic stagnation, brain drain, suppression of women and dissenters, and the humiliation of ethnicities and religions. Regarding his claim that peace, unity, and brotherhood have emerged in Afghanistan, there is concrete evidence and reasons contrary to that. Contrary to the Taliban’s claim, security has deteriorated day by day over the past year; armed activities, theft, and abductions have increased. Additionally, the activities of groups like ISIS Khorasan, which have turned Afghanistan into a platform for their activities and threaten world countries, continue both inside Afghanistan with suicide and explosive operations, undermining the Taliban leader’s claim.
Mullah Hibatullah has mentioned “contemporary seditions” in his message, which certainly refers to ISIS, which has now become a major challenge to Taliban rule and a major concern for this group. Mullah Hibatullah should not overlook the fact that despite the differences between ISIS Khorasan and the Taliban, there are many similarities. If, according to Taliban media, ISIS Khorasan is a takfiri group, the Taliban have also slaughtered their opponents for years and prepared their fighters for bloodshed. Furthermore, ISIS Khorasan employs the same military tactics as the Taliban did in the past, such as killing civilians and military personnel and carrying out military operations that result in the highest number of casualties. ISIS Khorasan is essentially the Taliban, with the only difference being that the former has not yet succeeded in gaining power. This implies that if Taliban forces are the most susceptible to being recruited by ISIS, it is because they share many ideological similarities with this group.
The Taliban leader has claimed that this group has achieved a great feat in banning drug cultivation in the country. The reality is that the Taliban’s identity is somewhat intertwined with the drug trade, and it is impossible for this group to easily abstain from the benefits and revenues it derives from it. In the final years of the Taliban’s first rule, Mullah Omar also issued an order to ban drug cultivation and garnered international praise. Later, it became clear that this was a trick to raise the price of raw drugs in global markets, and the Taliban gained significant profits from this maneuver. Now, the Taliban speak of a ban on drug cultivation on one hand, but on the other hand, international drug mafias affiliated with this group have established advanced industrial drug manufacturing factories, earning even more revenues. Perhaps farmers may suffer from the relatively prohibited cultivation of drugs, but the revenues that go to the drug mafia remain intact, even increased.
Mullah Hibatullah has addressed the Taliban fighters, stating that security cannot be achieved through harshness. He has spoken the truth. However, what is happening in reality has no connection to Mullah Hibatullah’s statement. Currently, the Taliban, under various pretexts, engage in humiliating, insulting, imprisoning, and torturing people. They seek a sense of security at the cost of the dignity, honor, and respect of thousands of citizens. In reality, they seek the tranquility of the graveyard. Harsh measures and restrictions have led everyone to seek ways to escape. Even some Taliban members, if they find a way out, do not consider staying a moment longer in Afghanistan. Our analysis is that Hibatullah’s talk of not being harsh and unjust to the citizens is merely a superficial display. The Taliban leader wants to show that he supports establishing justice and order among the citizens. There is also the possibility that the Taliban leader does not influence some Taliban members, and many of them do not pay attention to his words and messages, instead acting according to the wishes of their commanders and subgroups.
Hibatullah has stated that there is no discrimination or division in the “Islamic Emirate.” This presentation by the Taliban leader also indicates that Hibatullah’s ceremonial messages have a promotional aspect and do not reflect earthly realities. There is no doubt in the ethnic and religious exclusivity of the Taliban. Even secular Pashtun critics have acknowledged this issue and warned the Taliban about it. In the Taliban’s structure, privileges are distributed based on ethnicity and tribe, and one of the issues that has troubled non-Pashtun Taliban allies is the ethnic and tribal exclusivity of this group.
During the collapse of the republican system, the Taliban launched propaganda campaigns that they had learned from the past. This time, they claimed that if they seized power again, they would respect women’s rights and not repeat the mistakes they made during their previous rule. Some Western media outlets also fell for this propaganda at that time and talked about the Taliban changing. However, the experience of the Taliban’s two-and-a-half-year rule has left no room for hope for reforming the Taliban’s thinking and behavior. When people see the Taliban’s performance and the injustices happening in the country, they pay no attention to Mullah Hibatullah’s deceptive slogans. People understand that the Taliban’s propaganda machine, which produced Mullah Hibatullah’s Eid message, is trying to deceive them.
