Taliban’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has stressed that the group seeks strong relations with the United States and other countries around the world. The statement attributed to Akhundzada was issued on Wednesday ahead of Eid al-Adha.
In the statement, the Taliban leader said, “We want good and strong diplomatic, economic and political relations with the world, including the United States, in the framework of mutual commitments.”
In Eid message, the Taliban leader assured others that Afghanistan will not be a threat to neighbouring countries and the world and that no one should not interfere in Afghanistan's affairs. This comes even though according to the US intelligence and neighbouring countries, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, and other terrorist groups are actively present in Afghanistan.
In fact, just a day ago (July 5), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan announced in a statement that several missiles were shot from Afghanistan towards their country. In the last ten months, there have been attacks on other neighbouring countries around Afghanistan, for which ISIS has taken responsibility.
However, the leader of the Taliban and officials of this group have always talked about interaction with America and other countries in the messages they have published on various occasions.
So far, the Taliban government in Afghanistan has not been recognized internationally as a legitimate state.
Among other issues, the Taliban leader asked religious scholars to "put their efforts in order to enlighten people's minds through mosques, assemblies, and media”.
In the message, he said that people will taste true dignity, security, and prosperity when there is no rebellion and disobedience to Allah Almighty, so, the task of enlightening the people and making them aware of religion has been entrusted to honourable scholars. He added that scholars should cooperate with the Taliban on religious education.
The Taliban cabinet recently approved the establishment of three to 10 seminaries in every district of Afghanistan. The Taliban leader also stated that the Taliban government is committed to freedom of speech in the light of Islamic principles and Sharia law, and implicitly warned the journalists to frame their activities in the abovementioned context.
So far, no picture of the Taliban leader has been published and many people and former officials of Afghanistan doubt that Akhundzada is alive.
