RASC News Agency: Abdul Latif Pedram, former representative of Badakhshan in the Afghanistan Parliament, has reacted strongly to the Taliban’s recent decree concerning the Persian language, stating that the group is actively working towards the “Pashtunization” of Afghanistan. Pedram asserts that the Taliban are systematically attempting to Pashtunize the country by marginalizing and eliminating other ethnic groups through various means.
These remarks were made in response to the Taliban’s recent directive, which prohibits the use of “Iranian and Persian words” in media outlets. The Taliban, in this decree, have referred to the Persian language as “Iranian” and openly opposed its usage. In a statement on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Pedram commented on the Taliban’s directive to media outlets, emphasizing, “Iran is the name of a country; what we have is the Persian language.”
He further elaborated that when the Taliban order the cessation of Persian words, it is a clear and unequivocal indication that the Persian language is being banned. Pedram condemned this directive, calling it the most dangerous move towards the systematic Pashtunization of Afghanistan. He described the Taliban’s new decree as a form of cultural and identity cleansing, a flagrant violation of human rights, and ultimately, a crime against the nation.
This development comes after officials from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, in a meeting with media representatives, ordered them to refrain from using “Iranian” terms in their broadcasts. Sources further revealed that the same officials demanded that media outlets show respect to the group’s leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.
