Azizurrahman Mansour, the Taliban’s Deputy Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs, has apologized for not standing during Iran’s national anthem at a recent high-level conference, justifying his actions to Afghanistan’s “tradition.”
In a video message, Mansour stated that he did not intend any disrespect toward Iran, which he described as a “friend” of the Taliban-led Afghanistan.
“I was sitting based on our custom. In our country, when we recite the [Islamic] carol, we remain seated. I acted accordingly. God forbid, I never intended to offend Iran,” he said.
Mansour’s failure to stand during the anthem sparked outrage among Iranian officials, prompting Iran’s Foreign Ministry to summon the Taliban chargé d’affaires in Tehran to lodge a formal protest.
Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s special envoy and ambassador to Afghanistan, condemned the action as “meaningless,” rejecting Mansour’s explanation. “Failing to respect diplomatic norms under the pretext of Sharia law’s prohibition of music makes no sense,” Qomi tweeted, adding that if music were truly forbidden, then listening to it should also be avoided.
This incident follows a similar diplomatic misstep by a Taliban diplomat in Peshawar, Pakistan, where a similar failure to observe protocol during the national anthem prompted a strong reaction from Pakistani officials. On Tuesday, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, criticized the act, stating that such “disrespect” for the host country’s anthem was unacceptable. “We are conveying our strong protest to Afghan authorities both in Islamabad and Kabul,” she said.
The events have highlighted growing diplomatic challenges for the Taliban government as it navigates relations with neighboring countries.
