Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban, has urged officials of the group in his Eid al-Adha message to refrain from “oppressing the people.” At the same time, he emphasized preserving what he called the Taliban’s “Islamic system” and called on the group’s members and supporters to make “sacrifices” for its survival.
In the message, released on Sunday, May 24, on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, the Taliban leader addressed his “Afghan brothers,” saying that the group’s rule must continue. He also spoke of “collective steadfastness” against what he described as “enemies,” though he did not name any specific country or group.
These remarks come as Afghanistan faces a severe economic and humanitarian crisis. Rising poverty, unemployment, and livelihood problems, along with social restrictions especially against women are considered among the country’s major current challenges.
In his message, the Taliban leader made no mention of the widespread restrictions on women’s education and employment, restrictions that over the past nearly five years have become one of the main subjects of both domestic and international criticism of Taliban rule.
In another part of his message, Hibatullah Akhundzada stressed the Taliban’s desire to expand relations with the world, especially with Islamic countries, based on what he called “principles of Sharia.” This comes while the Taliban government has not been officially recognized by any country except Russia.
Meanwhile, critics say the message focuses more on consolidating the Taliban’s power structure and continuing current policies, rather than addressing Afghanistan’s ongoing crises or making fundamental changes to the country’s internal situation.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
