Controversial comments by the Taliban\u2019s Higher Education Minister, Neda Mohammad Nadeem, have ignited a wave of public backlash and ridicule across Afghan social media, as internal divisions within the Taliban movement continue to intensify.Speaking at an event titled \u201cExplanation of the Decree to Prevent Harmful Traditions,\u201d Nadeem declared that \u201cobedience to the Emir is a divine command,\u201d comparing the Taliban\u2019s supreme leader to the \u201cCaliph of the Prophet Muhammad.\u201d He went further, claiming that insulting the leader is equivalent to insulting the Prophet himself.\u201cThese statements are deeply alarming,\u201d activists and commentators said, accusing Nadeem of using religion to sanctify authoritarian rule and silence dissent. Many saw his remarks as a blatant overreach and an attempt to frame the Taliban leader\u2019s authority as unquestionable.The statements come at a time of growing internal tension within the Taliban. Rifts have deepened between supporters of the movement\u2019s reclusive leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, who is based in Kandahar, and the camp of Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, a key figure within the group who has been openly critical of some leadership decisions.Haqqani had been absent from public view for over a month, raising questions about his political standing, before appearing recently at a security meeting in Kandahar led by Akhundzada. Sources revealed that Haqqani voiced strong criticism of current policies, warning they risk alienating the public and could even lead to internal fractures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Controversial comments by the Taliban\u2019s Higher Education Minister, Neda Mohammad Nadeem, have ignited a wave of public backlash and ridicule across Afghan social media, as internal divisions within the Taliban movement continue to intensify.Speaking at an event titled \u201cExplanation of the Decree to Prevent Harmful Traditions,\u201d Nadeem declared that \u201cobedience to the Emir is a …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":122490,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"yes","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[25,31],"tags":[13632],"class_list":["post-122489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-afghanistan","category-news","tag-human-rights-situation-in-afghanistan"],"yoast_head":"\n