RASC News Agency: Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban, has asserted that over the past two decades, the people of Afghanistan have grown estranged from Islam. According to him, since the Taliban’s return to power, the foundations of the faith have been restored, and the younger generation has reconnected with Islamic values. In his speech, Akhundzada emphasized that Afghanistani youth, in particular, had distanced themselves from Islam over the last twenty years. In an audio recording of his remarks, released yesterday Tuesday, September 24, he stated, “For 20 years, the Afghanistani people were under the influence of the West, NATO, and democratic ideologies.”
He added, “The situation 20 years ago was quite different. Over this period, significant changes have occurred, and people have lost their familiarity with Islam. Twenty years ago, they were not like this.” These comments come at a time when many Afghanistanis are fleeing the Taliban regime, criticizing their laws and policies as backward and inconsistent with Islamic principles. Numerous religious scholars have voiced opposition to the Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia law and their approach to religion.
Akhundzada claimed that two decades ago, Afghanistanis had a strong connection to their faith and led lives aligned with tradition, unexposed to “music and immorality.” He remarked, “Now, observe how much our people, especially the youth, are captivated by films, vulgarity, and television.” In his speech, the Taliban leader also expressed concern over increasing complaints about the public’s negligence regarding prayer.
“We dispatched Sadr Muhammad Ibrahim (Deputy Minister of the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior) and Abdul Haq (Deputy Minister for Counter-Narcotics) to the Boldak district to address security concerns. Upon their return, they reported on the security issues but also informed us that scholars there had raised complaints about the weak observance of prayer, both among the general public and the Mujahideen,” Akhundzada said.
Over the past three years, the Taliban has imposed strict restrictions on the rights and freedoms of Afghanistani citizens, particularly women and girls. At present, women and girls are prohibited from working, accessing education, or moving freely in public spaces. Recently, Akhundzada enforced new regulations under the “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” law, further exacerbating the restrictions on the civil liberties and rights of Afghanistani citizens.
