A senior Taliban leader has called on the international media and community to stop trying to wreak havoc in Afghanistan and destroy the country’s best chance of peace in 40 years.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, who was a higher education minister when the Taliban last ruled Afghanistan, recently gave a public speech urging Taliban soldiers not to give the media any excuse to demonise the movement.
He also urged the U.S. and the international community to open a new chapter with a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Here are the highlights of his speech:
To Taliban soldiers
Do not disobey orders, refrain from doing unnecessary interviews and taking unnecessary photos/videos, and refrain from misusing government vehicles.
Be very thankful to Allah SWT for all the recent conquests and do not oppose decisions made by leaders. The general amnesty is the sole reason behind all the victories of the Taliban so no one should deny the wisdom behind it.
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The global community is watching us so soldiers should not commit any acts that could be perceived as oppression. Many do not want to see a peaceful Afghanistan so do not let them fan the flames of war.
To Afghans who oppose the Taliban
We ask you to reconsider. If it were not for the general amnesty, all those people who were previously opposed to us would have fled from Afghanistan. So you should take this opportunity to have mercy on the country and yourselves.
The Taliban should try its best to to placate all those who are still opposed to us. We need to use this opportunity to end the 40 year old conflict, we need to all come together behind this new government.
To the media
The media should stop doing negative propaganda; it is the first time in decades that there have been no casualties and all ethnicities have joined hands.
The enemies of Afghanistan are trying to undermine the current peace and spread negative propaganda. We see that every little thing is picked up in the Western media and blown out of proportion in an attempt to wreak havoc in Afghanistan.
To the U.S. and global community
You have put every type of pressure on us in the past 20 years yet you achieved nothing. Please refrain from trying to sanction us.
The Taliban have ensured the security of 34 provinces, yet the U.S. cannot secure one airport in Kabul even when President Biden is putting all his focus on it.
The Taliban wants good relations with the world, it is ill-mannered for them to put any more pressure/sanctions on us. America and its allies were not satisfied by all the bombs they dropped on us so they are now trying to impose financial pressure on us.
It is cruel that the U.S. and its allies have closed the airport off and are giving Afghans false promises of free visas. Why is the U.S. illegally evacuating the Afghans who allied with them in the past 20 years? No Afghan is being stopped from going to any country they want, as long as they do it legally. This U.S. policy is a failure just like past failed policies.
It is now time for the U.S. to open a new chapter in Afghanistan and learn from their past mistakes instead of what they are doing right now.
