Taliban Leader's Request to Militants: Make Sacrifices and Carry Out Suicide Attacks

Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban, emphasized the implementation of Islamic laws 'until death' in a speech on Wednesday, urging the group's militants not to back down and to continue making sacrifices. According to the Dari section of Voice of America, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Taliban government, released an audio tape attributed to Akhundzada on the 'X' network, which he stated was delivered after leading the Eid prayer in Kandahar province. In this approximately 35-minute audio, Akhundzada told the Taliban: 'Do not fail, continue to resist, continue to make sacrifices. Continue with suicide [attacks] as you did yesterday in times of hardship for success; today, in times of ease, make sacrifices as well, do not back down, do not break the belt.' The Taliban used suicide attacks against Afghan and foreign forces during the two decades of U.S. and NATO military presence in Afghanistan, but most victims of these attacks were defenseless Afghan civilians. Over the past two and a half years since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the leader has issued multiple commands, some of which, especially regarding the deprivation of education and work rights for women and girls, have faced widespread criticism, even from some senior members of the Taliban. Akhundzada also defended retribution and corporal punishment of defendants in public, claiming it is in accordance with Islamic laws. He emphasized that Islamic laws would be implemented as they were during the time of the Prophet Muhammad. Following the leader's command, public punishments have increased, facing widespread international criticism and condemnation from human rights organizations. The United Nations has described the Taliban leader's command as 'extremely disappointing.' In response to these criticisms, the Taliban leader stated: 'You want to impose your laws on us and want your laws to be respected. My law is Islam, it is religion, it is divine law; why do you not respect this, why do you criticize it, and why do you blame Muslims for being contrary to human rights?' In this speech, the Taliban leader only used the term 'brothers' and did not mention women or refer to the rights of women and minorities. More than two and a half years after the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, no country has recognized the group's government, and the international community has consistently emphasized the need for a government that includes all ethnicities and minorities in Afghanistan and full respect for human rights, especially the rights of women and girls, considering it a prerequisite for any political engagement with the Taliban. The situation of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan is described as 'critical' by the United Nations.