RASC News Agency: In a striking display of ideological rigidity and paranoia, Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada delivered a rare public address at Kandahar University, branding media and education as dangerous tools of Western subversion. His remarks, steeped in anti-intellectual fervor and authoritarian rhetoric, offered a chilling glimpse into the regime’s escalating war on information, free expression, and the very notion of public truth. Speaking to students and academic staff during a tightly controlled gathering on April 22, Akhundzada warned of an alleged “propaganda war” orchestrated by what he called “infidels,” accusing the West of shifting from military confrontation to a “soft war” aimed at dismantling the Taliban’s rule through digital media, education, and cultural influence.
“The enemy, having failed to defeat us on the battlefield, is now advancing its agenda through social media, Western education systems, and cultural infiltration,” Akhundzada declared. “This war of narratives is no less dangerous than armed conflict. We must resist it with the same intensity.” The Taliban leader’s words, disseminated by the group’s Ministry of Higher Education, come at a time when the regime is aggressively tightening its grip on Afghanistan’s intellectual spaces, silencing dissent, and dismantling the last vestiges of civic freedom. Since their violent return to power in 2021, the Taliban have launched a relentless assault on the free press, independent academic institutions, and digital platforms, all under the guise of defending “Islamic values.”
Akhundzada’s speech reveals not only the Taliban’s fear of ideas but also its broader strategy to indoctrinate the youth by eliminating access to alternative perspectives. Under the banner of morality and tradition, the regime has banned female education beyond the sixth grade, imposed sweeping restrictions on journalists, and prosecuted anyone who dares challenge its dogma. Observers note that Akhundzada’s invocation of a “media war” is part of a calculated campaign to delegitimize all sources of independent reporting that expose the regime’s repressive practices, human rights violations, and institutional failures. While the Taliban insist they are safeguarding the moral fabric of society, in reality, they are suffocating the Afghanistani public under an ideological chokehold, denying an entire generation access to truth, opportunity, and critical thought.
“His speech wasn’t just an attack on the media it was a declaration of war on reality itself,” said a Kabul-based media analyst who requested anonymity for safety reasons. “What the Taliban fear most isn’t weapons or drones it’s information, transparency, and ideas that challenge their monopoly on truth.” Despite the regime’s increasing attempts to dominate the narrative, underground journalism, digital activism, and citizen reporting continue to thrive in defiance. Afghanistani students, exiled academics, and civil society groups persist in documenting and exposing the regime’s abuses, refusing to surrender their voice to Taliban censorship.
Akhundzada’s address may have been delivered behind closed doors in Kandahar, but its echoes ring across the nation reminders of a regime that governs through fear, silence, and the suppression of the very freedoms it claims to protect.
