The Taliban’s takeover of power did not come out of the blue. The lightning campaign was planned well in advance. On July 9, a senior Taliban delegation visited Moscow to assure the Russians that the Taliban’s swift conquests in Afghanistan pose no threat to Russia or its allies in Central Asia. At the end of July, the Taliban negotiators visited Beijing on the same mission. The world had no idea what was about to happen. Now the Taliban are in power – and are trying to allay fears that terror could return to Kabul, which would make Afghanistan hell.
Beijing and Moscow are already in contact with the Taliban, and their embassies in Kabul are open. The EU also signaled on Tuesday: “The Taliban have won the war, so we will have to talk to them,” said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (74).
In order to start a dialogue with the world as quickly as possible, the Taliban made their first appearance in the world media on Tuesday to create confidence that they would not bring back a dark age. Taliban spokesman Sabiullah Mujahid was downright soft at the first press conference of the holy warriors since the fall of Kabul. The fact that the Taliban, with their Stone Age ideology, are a synonym for brutality, the Mujahid tried to dispel such fears.
amnesty
For 20 years the Taliban stayed in the resistance underground, fighting against the infidels and foreigners. Mujahid has been busy tweeting over the years as “@ Zabehulah_M33”. He has over 310,000 followers. His face was hidden. Until now. After the lightning campaign of his bearded cronies in wide robes, the Mujahid appeared in the spotlight on Tuesday in front of the Afghan and international media. And tries to calm the world down.
Probably two dozen microphones are spread out in front of him, cameras and spotlights are pointed at him. In the tone of the nice uncle next door, the career warrior assures that the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan have no grudge against anyone: “We have forgiven all those who fought against us. The hostilities are over. “The Taliban would no longer finance themselves with the opium trade. The international community should help Afghanistan with the cultivation of alternative crops.
Mujahid does not look like a fanatic. Translators, employees of foreign countries and collaborators, he says, the Taliban are not hunting anyone. There is no vengeance against them. You would be pardoned. An amnesty has also been issued for all soldiers in the opposing Afghan army. Shake hands with everyone, says Mujahid: “Everyone will have a share in the new government.” He also doesn’t want to hear about house searches of his warriors. Fighters are not allowed to enter private houses. The Taliban are currently collecting weapons and the Mujahid warns that tough action will be taken against looters in particular.
Sharia judge unpacks: “We stone homosexuals”(02:26)
Women’s rights: yes, but …
Mujahid is also well prepared when it comes to women and shows his soft side. But probably only half the truth. Women would be guaranteed rights – mind you under strict Islamic Sharia law, which the Taliban interprets even more strictly than in the most conservative Islamic world.
Under the old Taliban, who ruled until 2001, women were forbidden to leave the home alone without an adult male relative, let alone work, go to school or get an education.
Mujahid doesn’t let it be seen that women will not become second-class people again: “There will be no discrimination against women, they will live with us,” says Mujahid graciously. But what he admits: women in Taliban Afghanistan have the right to participate in education and health care, among other things. In plain language this means: women are de facto disenfranchised.
“Give us time,” ask the Taliban
CNN reports that when the Taliban took Afghanistan by storm, many women had no time to buy a burqa. This is in order to comply with the Taliban regulations that women must be veiled and accompanied by a male relative when they leave the house.
Or a mother of four was beaten to death by the Taliban on July 12 for not cooking for a group of fighters. Her mother was too poor, the 25-year-old daughter said afterwards. How could she cook for the warriors?
Mujahid remains vague about the rights and future of women in the new Afghan Emirates. “Give us time,” the Taliban spokesman asks the media and the world community. It is also noticeable that there was not a single woman in the hall at the well-attended press conference.