Speaking at a ceremony, the Taliban Minister of Higher Education of the Taliban criticized the foreigners and the opposition media for attempting to present a negative image of Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban. In a meeting with the media in Iran, another Taliban official requested them to present a favorable image of Afghanistan to the world. The fact that the Taliban expect the media and foreigners to present a favorable image of the country under their management to the world indicates a slight change in the mentality of the Taliban, clarifying that this group gradually realizes the importance of world public opinion. However, the pivotal question is whether the media presents a false and inaccurate image of Afghanistan or whether the situation is really chaotic, tumultuous, and disorganized under the shadow of the Taliban government, or what the Taliban have to do if they want to create a positive mindset among the people of the world about Afghanistan, what should they do.
In fact, the media do not have a mission to produce content to please the Taliban and their mission is to reflect the facts. In practice, to what extent the media is bound to reflect the facts is a separate issue, but what is important to emphasize at the moment is that what is reflected in the media is the result of the work and efforts of the Taliban. So far, we have not seen that the reliable media started to make lies against the Taliban. There is no need to lie and exaggerate. The performance of the Taliban sufficiently feeds the media, mobilizing the public opinion of the world against this group. Even media experts sometimes criticize why reputable and well-known media do not write enough about the failures and wrongdoings of the Taliban and ignore many issues.
If the Taliban really desire to have a positive image of the territory under their control to reach the world, the only way is to shift their behavior and performance. Currently, Afghanistan has become a world hell for women and girls. The Taliban use all the means to confine women and girls, limiting their duties to childbearing and cooking. How is it possible to present a positive image of a government that has deprived half of the population of society of their basic and natural rights? Every day there is a report of the Taliban imposing medieval restrictions on women. How do these reports help to present a favorable image of the Taliban to the people of the world?
In Afghanistan, under the control of the Taliban, social and political freedoms have been completely dismantled. No one has the right to march. Civil society is not allowed to operate. Party activity is strictly prohibited. The protest against the Taliban regime is called a rebellion, being met with severe repression using religious texts. Obeying the regressive orders of Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, whom they call Amir al-Momineen, is considered one of the shari’a and religious duties. If anyone dares to oppose these orders, they may face dangerous punishments. So far, several women who have protested against the Taliban have been imprisoned and tortured. This is the reason why, despite the widespread dissatisfaction of the people, no protest movement against this group has been formed by men due to the fact that the slightest opposition to the Taliban will face them with heavy punishments. Now the question is, if a media wants to write a report in this field, what will it write? Is the creation of an atmosphere of suffocation and repression by the Taliban itself, not the basis for the illicit image of Afghanistan to be transmitted to the world?
If the Taliban sincerely want the Afghan nation to live with honor and dignity among other nations, they should not allow fundamentalist groups from al-Qaeda and Sipah Sahaba to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and TTP to turn the country into a field for their terrorist activities. Currently, many of the explosions and suicides that take place in Iran and Pakistan are reported to emanate from Afghanistan. What kind of country will it be if it is a paradise for terrorists and fundamentalists, hosting fugitives and criminals from around the world? In this case, no one should expect other countries to have a positive view of Afghanistan and treat it with respect.
What do the people of the world think of when they hear the name of Afghanistan? They remember a country that is ruled by angry bearded men with guns in their hands, unwilling to provide privacy for its citizens, interfering in the details of the relationship between men and women, and whipping citizens for the slightest mistake in the void of the constitution or civil law. The armed individuals of the ruling regime, while being police, are also prosecutors, judges, and executioners. Talking about Afghanistan, the people of the world mention a country where women are completely absent from the society scene lacking a significant social and political role. They mention a country where the overwhelming majority of its people live below the poverty line with their life and death depending on the aid of international charity organizations. Another question is if such a country with such features is considered respectable and reliable in the public opinion of the world.
After the Taliban regained power, millions of Afghan citizens fled to other countries. The large-scale influx of people to other countries has exposed them to many harms, plaguing them with poverty and misery. How do you expect the people of the world to have a respectful view of a country, when its people see that they are in the worst case, in a state of displacement and hardship in other countries? If the Taliban are trying to restore the image of Afghanistan, the first thing they should do is to gain credibility and respect for their government among the citizens of the country and not let people kill themselves in the waters and borders of the countries out of fear of the Taliban’s rule.
In short, until the citizens of this country respect each other, no one in the world will respect them. The Taliban do not value Afghan citizens and harass them in various ways and make life difficult for them. Discrimination and injustice in the shadow of Taliban rule have put people in a tight spot, discouraging them from living. The primitiveness of the Taliban has inspired the idea among the people of the world that all Afghan citizens think like the Taliban and have medieval thoughts like them. As long as the Taliban are present in this country, it is inconceivable to expect a good image of it to be imprinted in the minds of the people of the world.