During a sermon for Eid al-Fitr, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada declared that Western legal systems were unnecessary for Afghanistan.
Speaking in a 50-minute audio message from the Eidgah Mosque in Kandahar, Akhundzada emphasized that the Taliban would create their own laws, rejecting any laws originating from the West.
“There is no need for laws that originate from the West. We will create our own laws,” Akhundzada stated.
He reaffirmed his stance that Islamic law was sufficient for governing Afghanistan, in a public recording shared by Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government’s chief spokesman. In his speech, Akhundzada also criticized non-Muslim countries, particularly the US, accusing them of uniting in their hostility toward Islam. He referenced the ongoing Israel-Hamas war as an example of this antagonism.
The Taliban leader went on to declare that democracy in Afghanistan had ended under the enforcement of sharia law, claiming that those who supported democracy were working to create divisions between the Afghan people and the Taliban government.
Akhundzada’s influence has expanded significantly since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021. Despite initial promises by some Taliban officials of a more moderate approach, his leadership has been marked by an increasingly hardline interpretation of Islamic law.
Since taking power, the Taliban has imposed strict policies limiting the rights of women and girls, including bans on secondary and higher education, restrictions on most jobs, and limitations on access to public spaces. These actions have led to further international isolation, although the Taliban maintains diplomatic relations with countries like China and the United Arab Emirates.
Internally, the Taliban faces little opposition, but some rifts have emerged within the administration. Senior figures have voiced concerns over Akhundzada’s centralized decision-making, and there are factions within the Taliban advocating for more international engagement and the relaxation of stricter policies to gain external support.
