In recent times, the Taliban’s propaganda apparatus, in collaboration with other affiliated entities, has embarked on concerted efforts to highlight the position of Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, imbuing it with sanctity and presenting it with religious significance as the “Amir al-Mu’minin” (Commander of the Faithful). This narrative unfolds from the compulsory inclusion of Mullah Hibatullah’s name in Friday prayer sermons and supplications for him and his fighters. The Taliban, with unparalleled determination, enforced compliance, warning those who refrained from praising Hibatullah or wishing well upon him and his fighters. If dissent persisted, they swiftly sidelined dissenters, subjecting them to punishment. Emphasis on Mullah Hibatullah’s elevated religious and worldly stature is not limited to this alone.
In recent months, the Ministries of Hajj and Religious Affairs, Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, and the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) of the Taliban, in coordination, continuously instruct mosque preachers nationwide to recite celebratory messages about Mullah Hibatullah for the public. They incentivize preachers who adhere to these directives, while those who defy the Taliban’s orders may face various consequences. Evidence suggests that the Taliban leadership in Kandahar province has decided to utilize all available means to solidify Mullah Hibatullah’s position.
Currently, there are tens of thousands of mosques active across the country, with the Taliban rigorously overseeing their performance. The Taliban rightly perceives exploiting mosque pulpits as one of the most effective means of influencing public opinion. Therefore, in their endeavor to dominate public minds, they have focused extensively on mosques and religious centers.
Moreover, in recent months, numerous audio messages purportedly from Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada have been disseminated through the media. In these messages, Hibatullah stresses the importance of unity among Taliban members, adherence to Islamic law, resistance to international human rights demands, and the necessity of societal reform. Interestingly, these messages signify a shift from the past norm where Kabul-based Taliban spokespeople would express opinions on various issues, indicating a preference for behind-the-scenes management by the Taliban supreme leader.
The question arises: why is the Taliban’s propaganda apparatus now focused on promoting the religious and spiritual image of their supreme leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, instead of propagating Taliban ideology and the overall structure? There are probably several factors that have led the Taliban supreme leader to strive for a more prominent role within the group’s structure.
1- After the Taliban’s victory, new challenges have emerged for their leadership. One of these challenges is the perception among some of their supporters that through deals with the United States and the West, the Taliban leadership has acquired power, leading them to deviate from their old ideological goals. They have purportedly pledged to withdraw support for allied militant groups such as Al-Qaeda and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a launching pad for their militant activities. Currently, terrorist groups from various regions worldwide are present in Afghanistan and benefit from Taliban support. However, some hardline Taliban members believe this level of support is insufficient. Moreover, certain Taliban members accuse the leadership of collusion with the West, compromising Sharia law, and lacking the necessary decisiveness in enforcing divine ordinances, leaving them disillusioned. Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada’s emphasis in his messages, published under his name, on unwavering adherence to Sharia and disregard for global community demands, aims to dispel this suspicion, suggesting that the Taliban, in hopes of receiving economic and political support from the West, have deviated from their principles and become a tool in America’s hands.
2- The undeniable presence and activities of ISIS Khorasan (IS-K) in regional countries, including Afghanistan, pose a significant challenge. IS-K’s presence in Afghanistan not only poses a serious challenge to the Taliban security apparatus but also increases the likelihood of some Taliban members joining this group, especially considering IS-K’s perceived stricter adherence to Islam and portrayal of itself as the true representative of Islam, accusing the Taliban of collusion with the West. Propagating provocative slogans is one way extremist groups attract recruits, and ISIS Khorasan excels in this regard. The fact that the Taliban supreme leader speaks of continuing jihad in his messages while disregarding Western countries’ demands regarding human rights and women’s rights is an attempt by this group to prevent the infiltration of anti-Taliban extremist groups. Due to abundant ideological similarities between the Taliban and ISIS, ISIS’s infiltration among Taliban fighters is more likely than ever.
3- Internal discord within the Taliban is also a significant challenge that their leadership seeks to prevent. When Hibatullah was selected as Mullah Mansour’s successor by Taliban leaders, military commanders believed he was weaker and might not challenge the military faction’s decisions or make decisions without consulting military commanders. However, it later became apparent that Hibatullah would not hold back from monopolizing power within his inner circle. Some key Taliban leaders, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, who leads the Haqqani Network within the Taliban and showed greater organizational prowess during the Taliban’s war against the republic, oppose some of the Taliban supreme leader’s decisions. However, he has not yet seen fit to seriously display this disagreement, albeit occasionally hinting at his differences with Mullah Hibatullah. Among the points of contention between some Taliban officials and Mullah Hibatullah is the issue of allowing girls to receive education beyond the sixth grade. Some Taliban officials believe that Hibatullah’s insistence on closing the doors of schools and universities to girls has put the Taliban at odds with the global community and imposed an unwarranted burden on the group. Regarding the distribution of privileges and facilities, there is tension and disagreement among Taliban leaders. Other factions within the Taliban believe that the leaders in Kandahar have sought to monopolize revenue sources after the Taliban’s re-emergence in power and show little inclination to share privileges with other branches. All of these factors have increased the likelihood of internal rifts within the Taliban. The Taliban supreme leader’s recent emphasis on unity in his Eid message indicates his awareness of the risks that internal turmoil may pose to the Taliban. Concentrated in Kandahar, the Taliban leadership attempts to enhance Mullah Hibatullah’s charisma and solidify his position among internal dissidents by launching propaganda campaigns in his favor.
4- So far, only a passport photo of the Taliban supreme leader has been released. He has minimal presence in large gatherings, and when he does, security measures are so stringent that it becomes impossible for the public to catch a glimpse of him. He is unwilling to appear in public or allow his image to be circulated. The Taliban’s propaganda apparatus tries to highlight Mullah Hibatullah’s position from this, as he is currently unable to establish face-to-face communication with the public. The Taliban seeks to address this deficiency through pulpit propaganda and the continuous dissemination of Hibatullah’s audio messages.
Nevertheless, more than two and a half years since the Taliban’s resurgence to power, their structure has remained intact, avoiding splintering and maintaining cohesion. Internal opponents of Mullah Hibatullah are well aware that given the centralized power structure within the Taliban, any attempt to undermine him is likely to fail, leading dissidents into isolation and jeopardizing the Taliban’s survival. Figures like Sirajuddin Haqqani recognize that the survival of the Taliban structure is contingent upon Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada. Thus, any effort to weaken his leadership position would be akin to undermining the group’s very foundations, contrary to the collective interests of its members.