Last Thursday, representatives from the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice visited Tamadon TV in Kabul, demanding the cessation of its broadcasts. Although the decision to stop its activities was postponed until Saturday, the Ministry’s spokesperson later stated that the buildings housing Tamadon TV, Khatam al-Nabieen Madrasa, and Khatam al-Nabieen University were situated on government land illegally. The spokesperson asserted that, since political parties are banned in Afghanistan and these institutions are linked to the Islamic Movement of Afghanistan, their activities are considered illegal by the Taliban. Consequently, the spokesperson announced that the offices of these institutions would be closed and their activities halted.
However, Jawad Mohseni, the head of Tamadon TV and Khatam al-Nabieen University, refused these claims. He stated on Facebook that the land ownership documents for these institutions are legitimate and legal, and thus, banning their activities lacks a legal basis. Mohseni argued that the Taliban should make a just decision in this matter. He also claimed that Tamadon TV is not a party-affiliated channel, as Ayatullah Mohseni had resigned from the leadership of the Islamic Movement of Afghanistan years ago.
Tamadon TV was established in the early days of the republic formed from the Bonn Agreement by Ayatullah Mohseni, with comprehensive support from Iranian advisors. Mohseni, a jihadist leader, frequently spoke about the need to combat the “cultural invasion of the West.” Consequently, Tamadon TV aimed to revive “national and Islamic values” and counter Western influences. This opposition to the West led to the channel gradually aligning with the Taliban, promoting their ideology and opposing what they termed “occupation.” Towards the end of the republic, Tamadon TV’s anti-republic stance became so extreme that, had media laws been strictly enforced, its activities might have been restricted or entirely halted.
With the Taliban’s return to power, Tamadon TV, which had previously shown pro-Taliban tendencies, became even more active and aligned itself closely with the Taliban regime. Just as it had fearlessly criticized officials during the republic, it now acted as a mouthpiece for the Taliban, striving to present the group in a favorable light. The channel consistently sided with the Taliban in its reporting, avoiding any content that might upset the group. Despite its historical role as a voice for the Iranian government in Afghanistan and the involvement of Iranian advisors in its operations, Tamadon TV’s efforts to reflect Iranian viewpoints intensified under the Taliban. The channel likely believed that, given Iran’s military and logistical support for the Taliban, the group would not restrict or shut down an Iran-backed television station.
However, Tamadon TV’s management failed to consider that a significant portion of the Taliban’s ranks are composed of individuals educated in extremist religious centers, who harbor deep-seated animosity towards Iran and Shia Islam. Religious and sectarian prejudice runs deep in these individuals. Taliban leadership has consistently sought to appease this faction of its supporters to prevent them from defecting to other terrorist groups like ISIS-K. Our analysis suggests that the Taliban’s actions against Tamadon TV are aimed at satisfying the demands of this segment of their followers. The Taliban leadership is always wary of divisions and strives to maintain unity within their ranks, focusing their efforts on preventing splintering.
We also know that the Taliban have no affinity for freedom of speech, belief, or the free activity of media. They consider these concepts sinful and unacceptable. The Taliban only allow media to operate as long as they reflect the Taliban’s views and adhere to their medieval regulations. With the Taliban’s return to power, the media are in their worst condition, forced to comply with the Taliban’s restrictive rules; otherwise, they will be shut down. Additionally, the Taliban opposes any form of party activity, viewing it as a source of division and conflict in society. Previously, they have stopped the activities of Noor TV, affiliated with the Islamic Society, and Barya TV, managed by the Islamic Party. The Taliban asserts that all party activities are banned in the country and that any media operating under the name of a party must be closed.
Media freedom is one of the key concepts in modern life; without it, human dignity and rights are trampled and destroyed. Authoritarian regimes never have a good relationship with the media, viewing free media activities as a threat to their rule. Such regimes fear a free press to the extent that they try to co-opt them into serving their ideology and thoughts, establishing their own media outlets. The Taliban’s efforts to restrict visual, auditory, and print media aim to solidify their authoritarian rule and keep the populace, who are unfortunately trapped under their control, in the dark with no escape. From our perspective, shutting down or restricting media activities, even those with narratives we disagree with, is unacceptable and offers no promise of a better future.
There are two additional points to consider regarding the Taliban’s treatment of Tamadon TV. The first concerns the funding sources of Tamadon TV. Ayatullah Mohseni claimed at the establishment of the TV station, as well as the Khatam al-Nabieen University and seminary, that the funds were provided from jihadist investments. However, Mohseni’s family monopolizes these institutions’ management, and no one else has any right to interfere in their financial affairs. Nearly all jihadist leaders have treated the money obtained in the name of jihad as their wealth, keeping it within their families. It is also evident that Tamadon TV’s editorial policy aligns closely with Iran’s, suggesting it operates as a subsidiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. Therefore, Mohseni’s claim about the jihadist origins of the funds for Tamadon TV and related institutions lacks a solid foundation.
The second point is that the Taliban’s action against Tamadon TV reveals yet again that, whenever they have the opportunity, they will not hesitate to target institutions and organizations that even support them. The Taliban demand absolute obedience from media and individuals to their emirate and are not satisfied with anything less. The public still remembers the Taliban’s actions against the “Jameyat e Islah” and Hizb ut-Tahrir. These organizations had long served as propaganda arms for the Taliban, preparing the public mind to accept Taliban ideology. Given their numerous similarities, observers considered it unlikely that the Taliban would suppress these organizations. Nevertheless, with the Taliban’s return to power, the Jameyat e Islah and Hizb ut-Tahrir were quickly forced to cease their activities, with some members even imprisoned. A Hizb ut-Tahrir member recounted to the media how Taliban torture of their imprisoned members was reminiscent of the abuses at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. Having fought against the system for many years, the Taliban are deeply suspicious of the public, and even the slightest doubt can lead to imprisonment and torture of citizens. The Taliban are ruthless torturers, recognizing neither human dignity nor natural human rights.
You can read the Persian version of this analysis here: