Tensions shown in Eid messages
Messages by two influential Taliban leaders in Afghan- istan this week showed tensions between hardliners and more moderate elements who want to scrap harsher policies and attract more outside support, experts said Thursday.
The messages for Eid al-Fitr marking the end of Ramadan were delivered by supreme leader Hibatul- lah Akhundzada, who defended the imposition of Is- lamic law and railed against the international commu- nity for its criticism, and Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, who called on the Taliban to be humble and avoid behaving in ways that make Afghans unhappy.
The reclusive Akhundzada released two messages for Eid. In the first, a written statement issued on Saturday in seven languages including Arabic, English, Turk- men and Uzbek, he was conciliatory and pragmatic, with measured advice for officials in the Taliban-con- trolled administration.
He issued the second in a rare public appearance on Wednesday at Eidgah Mosque in the Taliban heartland of Kandahar in the south. His Eid sermon, a half-hour address in Pashto, was more in keeping with the tone and content of his past fiery messages.
“We will never compromise on our principles or Islam,” he said. “I won’t even take a step away from Shariah (Islamic law). They (the international com- munity) object to it, saying public stoning and amputa- tion are against their laws and human rights.”
Haqqani released his Eid message on Wednesday in Afghanistan’s commonly spoken languages of Dari and Pashto. He called on the Taliban to avoid creating a rift between the people and authorities. And, unlike Ak- hundzada, he referenced the challenges facing the country. “We know that after nearly half a century of problems and difficulties, we cannot easily and urgent- ly expect the kind of life and possibilities we wish for, but the important thing is that the (Islamic) system and the whole nation are working to fulfill these wish- es,” he said.
Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute, said Haqqani was looking to draw trust and support from a broader Afghan public aware of the Taliban’s “brutal form” of governance. But for Akhundzada, the Eid sermon was about consolidating support and loyalty in his circle.
The messages also had a global audience in mind. The Haqqani network seeks investment and aid from the international community, Kugelman said.
“Projecting a softer side is likely meant to make potential donors more comfortable. With the emir (Akhundzada) it’s about signalling that the Taliban’s social agenda, especially its abhorrent policies toward women, isn’t up for negotiation,” he said.