The Taliban leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, declared on Sunday that Western laws are irrelevant in Afghanistan and that democracy is dead under the enforcement of sharia law.
His comments were made during a 50-minute audio address for Eid al-Fitr, which was broadcasted from the Eidgah Mosque in Kandahar.
"There is no necessity for regulations stemming from the Western world. We shall develop our own set of rules," Akhundzada stated.
He emphasized that Islamic law was adequate for the nation in a publicly shared recording posted by the Taliban government’s main spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, on X.
On Sunday, Akhundzada criticized the Western world, asserting that non-Muslim countries such as the United States were collectively hostile towards Islam. He used the current Israel-Hamas conflict as evidence of this stance.
He stated that democracy came to an end in Afghanistan, with Sharia law now being enforced. According to him, adherents of democracy were trying to create division between the populace and the Taliban administration.
Akhundzada's influence has grown significantly since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Despite earlier promises from some officials of a more moderate approach, his rule has been marked by an increasingly hardline interpretation of Islamic law.
Since their return, the Taliban have imposed drastic restrictions on women and girls, barring them from secondary and higher education, most jobs and public spaces.
These steps have led to greater international isolation for the regime, although it still has diplomatic ties with nations like China and the United Arab Emirates.
While the Taliban face no viable opposition inside or outside Afghanistan, internal rifts have surfaced. Some senior figures in the administration have expressed frustration at centralised decision making in Akhundzada’s circle.
Some Taliban representatives have advocated for increased global involvement and abandoning stricter measures to gain additional external backing.
Over the past few months, increased interaction has occurred between the Taliban and the United States under President Donald Trump’s administration, with efforts primarily centered around negotiations for prisoner swaps and releases.
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