VANCOUVER, CANADA — The resolute Taliban leader once again vowed to not give in to the outside pressure demanding him to give up on his mediaeval practices of corporal punishment and persecution of women.
Haibatullah Akhundzadah reportedly led the Eid prayer in Kandahar, where he resides on Wednesday, April 10. The Afghanistan’s National Radio and Television, now under Taliban control, released an audio tape attributed to Akhundzada, stating that it was his sermon after the prayer.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, also mentioned in a tweet that the Eid prayer at the Eidgah Mosque in Kandahar was led by Hibatullah Akhundzada and attended by “thousands” of people.
In the audio tape, referring to criticism of Taliban’s public punishments, the Taliban leader says, “I am enforcing God’s laws. They ask why [do you do this?], why do you enforce punishments in public, why do you stone, why do you amputate, why do you punish people? this is against our laws.”
The Taliban leader, without naming any specific country or individual, said they label the Taliban as human rights violators and want to impose their own laws on the group, but they do not respect Islam themselves.
“You stand by your false religion, why should I not stand by my right religion?” He said.
The Taliban leader also refers to the group’s problems with various countries in his speech and says that he is willing to resolve these issues within the framework of Islam, but “does not deviate from Islam and its principles.”
He promised his audience that he will not take a step back from “implementing Sharia Law” and asked the people to support him.
Earlier, the Taliban leader had also insisted on continuing public punishment in an audio tape released by Afghanistan’s National Radio.
The gravity and controversy surrounding the Taliban leader’s remarks indicate his defiant stance against international pressure and commitment to enforcing harsh punishments, particularly against women. What Mullah Haibatullah said in his Eid speech underscores the ongoing human rights concerns in regions under Taliban control.
The Taliban leader who has never appeared in front of a camera or the public has astounded the world by his fierce implementation of Sharia Law that legal and Islamic scholars argue is outdated, cruel and does not follow any due process.
This combination of steadfast resolve and elusive presence further complicates efforts to engage with or influence Taliban policies and practices.
