Mawlawi Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban’s Minister for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, has sharply criticized Afghanistan’s previous political systems during a gathering with a number of tribal elders in Kabul.
He stated: “The corrupt republican system of the past twenty years, which was supported by the entire world, collapsed because it lacked an Islamic ideology and worldview.
Hanafi called on religious scholars, university and school teachers, madrasa instructors, and the general public to unite in support of what he described as an “Islamic system” and to prevent the emergence of divisions and discord.
He emphasized: “Do not give the enemy an opportunity to create rifts among us through ethnicity, regional affiliations, or other forms of identity.”
According to Hanafi, political power is never permanent and changes throughout history. Referring to different periods in Afghanistan’s past, he said: “From Noor Mohammad Taraki to Najib and then to Ashraf Ghani, no one remained in power indefinitely.”
Hanafi claimed that previous governments whether the communist-era administrations or the republican government that ruled from 2001 to 2021 failed despite extensive international support due to corruption, internal divisions, and, in his view, the failure to implement Islamic values.
He also stated that the Taliban’s victory was not solely the result of military strength, but was, according to them, also the outcome of their Islamic faith and ideology.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have consistently maintained that their rule is founded on the implementation of Islamic Sharia and resistance to foreign influence. They argue that the collapse of the former republic was caused by internal problems and weaknesses in governance and administration.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
