Afghanistan’s supreme leader made a public speech on Sunday, for only the second time in six years, on the occasion of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, saying that the Taliban’s victory in August had allowed countries regain freedom and security.
Worshipers were praying at the Eidgah Mosque in southern Kandahar City, considered a Taliban stronghold, when a man stood up from the front lines and was introduced as Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
He then started speaking, without looking back at the crowd, according to social media posts.
Arriving two days after a bomb blast at a mosque in Kabul, the presence of this man who never shows up in public was surrounded by extraordinary security measures, and the Taliban leader’s entourage prevented journalists from approaching, reported by a correspondent ofAFP.
” Congratulations on success, freedom and security. Congratulations on security, and on the Islamic system. “
Although the number of attacks has fallen sharply since the Taliban came to power in August, many have occurred in recent days, some claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group, mainly targeting Shias and Sufi Muslims and killed dozens of civilians.
The latest, Friday in Kabul against a mosque, killed at least 10 people.
I’m so happy I can’t even describe itlater told to Bismillah, a faithful present in the mosque. I dreamed of praying beside my supreme leader, hearing his voice or seeing him.
Gul Ahmad, another Kandahar resident present at the mosque, stressed that Afghans will continue to visit the mosque despite the attacks.
” Our people love their religion. Even though there are attacks every day, we continue to go to mosques to pray there. “
Two helicopters continuously passed through the mosque during the two-hour ceremony.
Sunday’s intervention was only the second time Akhundzada had appeared in public since the Taliban took control in 2016.
In October, he went to the Darul Uloom Hakimiah mosque, still in Kandahar, according to an audio recording published by the Taliban on social networks.
Rumors of the death of the Taliban leader
The low profile of this new leader has led to questions about his true role in the new government, and even to rumors of his death.
His public profile is limited to posting messages on the occasion of Muslim holidays, and he is estimated to spend most of his time in Kandahar.
On Friday, his message on the occasion of the Eid holiday did not mention the latest bloody attack to date, and only boasted the strong Islamic and national army at the powerful intelligence organization implemented by the Taliban.
For his part, in Kabul, Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund took advantage of his Eid speech to once again accuse Washington of interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.
Aren’t they withholding the wealth of the country that is in their banks? Isn’t this an interference in the internal affairs of this country?did he declare.
Washington seized billions of dollars in Afghan assets after it left the country in August, further exacerbating the country’s humanitarian crisis.
Contrary to what is happening in Kandahar, in Kabul many believers prefer to refrain from going to the mosque for fear of new attacks.
The deadliest of them during Ramadan, against a mosque in the province of Kunduz (north) where a Sufi ceremony takes place, killed 36 people and injured dozens.
Source: Radio-Canada
