The Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada vowed in a message to implement severe punishments against women, including public stoning and flogging. He stated these actions are against Western democracy but required by God.
Akhundzada said the Taliban reverted to extreme methods like public executions after taking control of Afghanistan from the U.S. in 2021.
“You say it’s a violation of women’s rights when we stone them to death,” said Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada. “But we will soon implement the punishment for adultery. We will flog women in public. We will stone them to death in public.”
While Westerners discuss women’s rights, he asserted Sharia law and clerical opinions support the Taliban’s actions.
Akhundzada declared the Taliban fought the West for 20 years and will continue fighting to fully institute Sharia across Afghanistan, beyond just taking Kabul.
“These are all against your democracy but we will continue doing it,” he added. “We both say we defend human rights – we do it as God’s representative and you as the devil’s.”
“Do women want the rights that Westerners are talking about? They are against Sharia and clerics’ opinions, the clerics who toppled Western democracy,” he said. “I told the Mujahedin that we tell the Westerners that we fought against you for 20 years and we will fight 20 and even more years against you.”
“It did not finish [when you left]. It does not mean we would now just sit and drink tea. We will bring Sharia to this land,” he said. “It did finish after we took over Kabul. No, we will now bring Sharia into action.”
A 2021 U.N. report found over 100 had received sentences for “crimes against God” under the Taliban, including stoning, lashings and other physical punishments.
