NEFA Foundation: Q&A With Taliban Media Wing Representative
By Evan Kohlmann
The NEFA Foundation has obtained and produced an edited transcript of an open question-and-answer session with Afghan Taliban media wing spokesman Ahmad Mukhtar that took place several days ago over an Arabic-language Internet chat forum. During the exchange, when asked about the Taliban's stance on the 9/11 attacks, Mukhtar replies, "as he who harms Muslims whether in Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq or others of Muslim countries, then it is rightful for Muslims too to return the harm like how they harmed them.” Mukhtar was asked, "Has Hezb-e-Islami, under the command of Gulbudeen Hekmatyar, given bayat to the Amir of Believers, Mulla Muhammad Omar Mujahid, or is he carrying [out] Jihad outside of it? And how do you view the Hezb-e-Islami?” He responds, "Hezb-e-Islami, under the leadership of Hekmatyar, did not give bayat to the Amir of Believers…we view him as a brother in belief and faith and we respect him.” And addressing the Muslim Brotherhood, he states, "Regarding the support of some members of the Brotherhood Movement against the Islamic Emirate, [it] is because of their greed to reign and claim positions. Allah has punished them so that they lost life's positions and they have to go back to their religion before they lose the afterlife. Those who wear the symbol of Islam without actions, we ask Allah to protect us from them.”
An edited transcript of Mukhtar's responses can be downloaded from the NEFA Foundation website.
