An Afghan writer and political activist, Majid Qarar, has claimed that the issuance of extremist decrees by Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban, is intended to divert public attention from the ongoing looting of Afghanistan’s mineral resources, smuggling activities, and mafia networks.
In his recent statements, Qarar said that Afghans are being deliberately preoccupied with issues such as the ban on girls’ education, internet restrictions, and the controversial actions of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, so that questions about the plundering of the country’s natural resources and other covert activities are not raised.
He further alleged that certain religious scholars and speakers are provided with pre-written texts in advance in order to keep the public engaged in unimportant and controversial debates, thereby reducing public focus on the core problems.
According to him, the current situation in Afghanistan is part of a broad criminal and mafia-like network, and religious slogans and propaganda are being used to conceal these activities. Qarar added that some institutions and individuals are also attempting to legitimize these actions under the banner of nationalism.
He claims that special centers have been established both inside Afghanistan and in Europe to support and justify the Taliban, aiming to give the group an ethnic and populist image, while restrictions are simultaneously imposed on the ideas and works of many Afghan cultural and national figures.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
