KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — The contrasting Eid al-Fitr messages from Taliban leaders—one advocating for strict Islamic law enforcement while the other seeks to avoid harsher policies—highlight evident tensions within the group.
According to experts interviewed by the Associated Press (AP), the Taliban’s dual messaging is also viewed as a strategic campaign aimed at demonstrating their influence and power both domestically and internationally.
In his Eid messages, Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada reiterated his support for corporal punishment and the oppression of women in Afghanistan.
In an audio recording released by the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan National Radio and Television (RTA) on Wednesday, April 10, the Taliban leader asserted that he is implementing God’s law in Afghanistan. He accused the West of attempting to impose their own laws on the group without regard for Islamic principles.
“I will stone women until I am alive,” he emphasized.
During his Eid sermon in southern Kandahar, he reportedly stated, “If anyone has any issues with us, we are open to resolving them, but we will never compromise on our principles or Islam.”
“At the same time, we don’t expect Islam to be disrespected. I won’t even take a step away from Shariah (Islamic law). They (the international community) object to it, saying public stoning and amputation are against their laws and human rights. You expect us to follow your laws while imposing them on us.”
He also reiterated calls for readiness to conduct “suicide attacks,” a tactic widely used against the former government, civilians, and Western troops over the past two decades.
During his speech, Akhundzada said, “Today, sacrifice as you have comfortably done before. Do not retreat.”
Meanwhile, the Taliban Interior Ministry and the leader of the Haqqani network, Sirajuddin Haqqani, urged the Taliban fighters to remain “humble” and avoid actions that widen the gap between the people and their government.
“We know that after nearly half a century of problems and difficulties, we cannot easily and urgently expect the kind of life and possibilities we wish for, but the important thing is that the (Islamic) system and the whole nation are working to fulfill these wishes,” he said.
AP quoted Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute, as saying, “Haqqani, by attempting to show a softer side, was looking to draw trust and support from a broader Afghan public aware of the Taliban’s ‘brutal form’ of governance. But for Akhundzada, the Eid sermon was about consolidating support and loyalty in his circle.”
He further noted that the Haqqani’s message also indicates his intention to seek investment and aid from the international community.”Projecting a softer side is likely meant to make potential donors more comfortable. With the emir (Akhundzada) it’s about signalling that the Taliban’s social agenda, especially its abhorrent policies toward women, isn’t up for negotiation,” he said.
Pakistani journalist and author Ahmed Rashid, who has written several books on Afghanistan and the Taliban, told the news agency that the two leaders were sending a strong message to their followers that nothing has changed despite Western pressure.
“There are clearly divisions within the Taliban but they’re holding together,” Rashid said. “There are moderate elements that want to see women educated, but they’re not in a strong position so they’re biding their time.”
The recent statements made by the Taliban’s reclusive supreme leader have triggered broad reactions among political figures both within and outside the country.
Former Jihadi leader Abdul Rab Rasool Sayyaf criticized the Taliban leader’s endorsement of suicide bombing, stating that such actions are contrary to the “religion of God and his messenger.”
In a Pashto statement posted on X, Sayyaf called out to the Taliban leader, “May God destroy you; do not perpetrate injustice in the name of Islam.”
