Abdul Kabir, the Taliban’s deputy chief minister for political affairs, declared those who do not view the Taliban’s 20-year conflict as “Jihad” as “enemies of Afghanistan’s honor”.
Speaking at a climate change event in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, Kabir equated the opposition to their fight with being “enemies of religion [Islam].”
Kabir criticized those labeling NATO and U.S. forces as guests, calling them “enemies of honor and the country.”
He also accused former Afghan officials of acting as “slaves” for bringing NATO and U.S. forces into the country.
Kabir claimed that university lecturers, doctors, and restaurant owners aided suicide bombers during the Republican era in Kabul and Nangarhar.
He alleged these individuals provided sanctuary, transportation, and hiding places for bombers.
His statements come ahead of a special envoy meeting on Afghanistan in Doha, scheduled for Feb. 18-19.
At the same event, Neda Mohammad Nadim, the Taliban’s acting Minister of Higher Education, blamed the international community for Afghanistan’s air pollution and rising temperatures. Nadim urged the international community to compensate Afghanistan for climate change damages.
“We call on the international community to recognize Afghanistan’s rights and needs. Those who support human rights should pay attention to this,” he stated.
The two-day climate change meeting in Nangarhar was attended by senior Taliban members.
