The Taliban; Armed Ignorants Who Have Built a Regime Out of Ignorance

Image: BULENT KILIC/AFP

Four years have passed since the fall of the republic and the return of the Taliban, four years in which each day serves as a reminder of deception, ignorance, and violence. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, in his latest interview with Sky News, claimed that the group faces “no problem of legitimacy” and that many countries have “unofficially” recognized them.

But the reality is that the Taliban have neither legitimacy nor the capacity to govern. No country except Russia has so far recognized this misogynistic and human rights–violating regime. The international community still regards the Taliban as a regressive group that engages with the world only to prolong its grip on power.

The Lie of Legitimacy

The Taliban seek to repair their image before the world through political performances and deceptive words, but legitimacy cannot be purchased through secrecy. Legitimacy has meaning only when girls can study, the media are free, and people can speak without fear, not when Kabul sinks into darkness and silence.

Internet Blackout; The Suffocation of Awareness

The 48-hour internet shutdown across Afghanistan, which caused the closure of banks and paralyzed people’s daily lives, was not a “technical failure” but a deliberate act to silence the voice of the people. The Taliban fear awareness -fear that people may see, read, and understand. From women who consider online education their last hope to journalists in exile who struggle to be the voice of the voiceless.

Closed School Doors; The Lie of “Afghan Culture”

The Taliban spokesman has said: “I cannot make any promises about girls returning to school.” This sentence sums up all of the Taliban’s policies: non-commitment, discrimination, and humiliation. For four years, millions of girls have remained behind closed doors, and the Taliban still claim they are “reviewing the matter.” The truth is that they fear knowledge, because they know that awareness is the greatest enemy of ignorance.

Ban on Medical Education; An Assault on Women’s Lives

The Taliban have also banned women from studying medicine and nursing. In a country where women die during childbirth, the Taliban claim that “we have enough female doctors.” This is not only a sign of illiteracy but also evidence of cruelty. They are stripping women even of the right to life.

As a result, the Taliban’s Emirate of darkness, under the name of religion, is committing one of the greatest crimes against humanity. They have turned Islam into a political weapon and dragged Afghanistan into a prison of silence. Yet no regime built on ignorance, lies, and repression has ever endured.

The day will come when the voices of girls will once again echo through the classrooms, and history will remember the Taliban not as a government, but as a religious and human catastrophe.

Author: Tamim Attaiy