Recent remarks from Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, advocating for public stoning and whipping of women, as well as the elimination of democratic values, have sparked reactions from citizens and various political and civil activists. They argue that the Taliban leader’s recent statements will further infringe upon human rights, particularly women’s rights, in the country. Some women activists also contend that the Taliban leader’s recent remarks amount to endorsing gender apartheid in Afghanistan. Critics stress that the Taliban’s perspective on citizens and women’s rights is calamitous, asserting that the Taliban regime fundamentally lacks an understanding of basic citizenship rights and governance.
The Taliban-controlled Afghanistan National Television recently aired a speech attributed to Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the absent supreme leader of the Taliban, in which he emphasized stoning and whipping women in public. Addressing Democrats, he said, “Tomorrow we will stone and whip women in public. All of this is contrary to your democracy.”
In this audio file, the Taliban supreme leader addresses “Westerners,” saying, “You claim to advocate for human dignity, and I make the same claim.” He then goes on to describe Westerners as satanic, adding, “I advocate on behalf of Allah, while you advocate on behalf of Satan.”
In this speech, Mullah Hibatullah claims that Westerners do not distinguish between “animals” and “women.” According to him, “clerics” oppose democracy. The Taliban supreme leader alleges that democracy has not been realized in Afghanistan due to the presence of “clerics.” He emphasizes that the Taliban will enforce “Islamic Sharia Law in Afghanistan” and will not tolerate anyone’s desires.
The absent Taliban supreme leader once again addresses Westerners in this audio file, saying, “We fought with you for 20 years, and we will fight even more for the next 20 years” to “implement Sharia on earth.” He stresses in this speech that the Taliban’s war will not end with entering Kabul and seizing government seats but rather, this group will practically implement Sharia Law in Afghanistan.
Mullah Hibatullah’s statements have sparked widespread reactions from protesting women, women’s rights activists, and political opponents of the Taliban. Critics of the absent Taliban supreme leader’s remarks have emphasized that this group’s view of citizens, especially women’s rights, is disastrous and a clear example of gender apartheid. In their view, the Taliban regime lacks the most basic understanding of citizenship rights and governance.
Many protesting women have reacted to the Taliban supreme leader’s statements by issuing statements and recording videos. They have stated that the Taliban’s view of women is insulting and catastrophic, and the world should not further enable this group, as it would create a platform for widespread human rights violations and insults to human values.
In response to the statements made by Hibatullah Akhundzada, one women’s organization called the Women’s Freedom Movement emphasized that these remarks reflect the Taliban’s main face and “ignorant” mentality towards human society. Members of this movement have been reminded that no group can deprive women of their rights by force and oppression. They have appealed to international human rights organizations and the global community not to abandon Afghan women.
Continuing the reactions to the Taliban supreme leader’s statements, the Human Rights Activists Union has urged the international community not to ignore these remarks. The union stated on its X (formerly Twitter) page that the Taliban have committed “such crimes” in the past without legal verdicts. The Human Rights Activists Union added that the Taliban terrorist group is condemned to destruction.
Tamana Zaryab Paryani, a protesting woman who has experienced Taliban captivity and torture, responded to the Taliban supreme leader’s statements, saying, “Let’s not allow Taliban terrorist ideologies to be institutionalized in Afghanistan.” She further added in her message that the Taliban have imposed gender apartheid in Afghanistan, and countries should not financially support this group.
Shaharzad Akbar, the former head of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), commented on the Taliban supreme leader’s statements, saying, “Enmity with the West is a narrative; a narrative whose audience includes regional countries and groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS. The main enemy of the Taliban is the people of Afghanistan; because the Taliban’s perspective involves fundamentally changing society by promoting ignorance, illiteracy, and superstitions, attacking indigenous culture, distorting history, and eradicating principles of tolerance and progress.”
In response to the statements made by the Taliban supreme leader, Mitra Mehran, a women’s rights activist, wrote: “The Taliban supreme leader declared a jihad against human rights and Western democracy in his New Year message and pledged to continue the oppression and violence against women, including public stoning.” She added, “How naive are we to believe that a haven for terrorists stays secluded?”
Meanwhile, some political figures and senior officials from the previous government of Afghanistan have considered the recent remarks attributed to the absent Taliban supreme leader as indicative of this group’s opposition to basic human rights.
Rangin Dadfar Spanta, former National Security Advisor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan commented on the statements attributed to Mullah Hibatullah, saying: “The Taliban are what Hibatullah Akhundzada says, not what this group’s lobbyists say.” According to him, Afghan lobbyists and some foreign diplomats do not tell the truth. Spanta wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) page: “The Taliban supreme leader has an advantage over other politicians in our country, as he clearly and explicitly expresses his beliefs. However you dress up Talibanism, its essence is what Mr. Mullah Hibatullah says.” The former Foreign Minister of Afghanistan added: “If we continue to remain passive under the guise of an all-inclusive government or any other illusion like that, we will have a worse fate of subjugation than today.”
Rahmatullah Nabil, former Chief of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) of Afghanistan, wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) page that the Taliban supreme leader’s statements indicate this group’s opposition to human rights. According to him, Hibatullah’s message to the world is that they both benefit from the support of Western countries and will be held after them at the right time. Nabil added that the people of Afghanistan “have no illusion about the possibility of changing the extremist ideology of this group.” According to Mr. Nabil, the Taliban supreme leader’s words are now a clear and firm message to both domestic and foreign lobbyists who are “trying to reform or influence this group.”
Fazal Ahmad Manawi, the former Minister of Justice, also wrote: “Mullah Hibatullah’s statements are unsurprising, but it’s the individuals attempting to clarify and whitewash the Taliban who are truly astonishing.” He added, “The essence of Talibanism is with ugly and unjust practices. The Taliban have no other definition, and expecting the Taliban to reform through advice or protests is futile. The only solution is resistance.”
Abdullah Khenjani, former Deputy State Ministry for Peace, divided the Taliban into two categories. He wrote: “There are two types of Taliban; those like these individuals who openly express their thoughts and demonstrate them through actions.” According to him, another type of Taliban has been created in the minds of diplomats and think tanks, which has been reinforced in the minds of boys and girls entertaining the Taliban.
Meanwhile, over the past two and a half years, the Taliban have repeatedly whipped women, girls, and other citizens in public squares. According to United Nations reports, this group has issued at least 50 restrictive decrees against women, excluding them from all public spheres.
The Taliban have so far publicly lashed hundreds of people, including women, on charges of extramarital relationships in stadiums in the presence of thousands. This group has also publicly executed four men in the presence of Taliban officials.
The ban on educating girls beyond the sixth grade, the prohibition of women and girls attending universities and higher education institutions, the ban on women working in government and private sectors, including UN agencies, the closure of women’s public baths, parks, and stadiums, and the closure of hair salons are among the Taliban’s major restrictions against women.
