KABUL — Neda Mohammad Nadeem, Taliban’s higher education minister and a close aide to their leader, has claimed that global political and religious leaders remain fascinated by the life of Mullah Mohammad Omar, Taliban’s founder and ex-leader Taliban, and are still studying about him.
In an address delivered at a seminar in Kabul held at Kabul University but closed to the press, Nadeem, who is son-in-law of Taliban reclusive leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, claimed that scholars and world leaders continue to study Mullah Omar’s life, decisions and influence.
“Mullah Omar was such a personality that even today, politicians, kings, and scholars around the world are astonished by him,” Nadeem said in an audio recording released by the Taliban. “They are still researching his life, his character, and how he ended the chaos in this country and established a pure Islamic system.”
No video footage of the event was shared by Taliban media, only an audio excerpt of Nadeem’s speech. He described Omar’s rise as occurring at a time when Afghanistan was facing a leadership vacuum, and praised those who served him — including scholars, Quran memorizers, and Taliban fighters — as the “best individuals” in society.
Mullah Omar ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, leading a regime known internationally for its severe restrictions on individual freedoms and widespread human rights violations. His rule systematically stripped women and girls of access to education, employment, and public life, and enforced the wearing of the full-body burqa.
The regime also implemented harsh punishments under its strict interpretation of Sharia law, including public executions, amputations, and stonings. One of the most widely condemned acts under Omar’s rule was the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in 2001 — an ancient cultural and religious heritage site — which provoked international outrage.
Omar’s harboring of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda following the September 11 attacks played a direct role in the United States’ decision to launch a military invasion of Afghanistan. He remained in hiding until his death in 2013, which the Taliban concealed for two years before publicly confirming it in 2015.
