A new cabinet was presented Tuesday, less than a month after the Taliban reclaimed power in Afghanistan, leaving international leaders to ponder the country’s future relations. In his first public speech following the fall of Kabul on August 15, Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada stated, “In the future, all aspects of administration and life in Afghanistan would be controlled by the laws of the Holy Sharia.”
Despite the Taliban’s claims to be a new, improved version of the hardline organisation in a bid to gain international recognition, the claims have been questioned due to reality on the ground and the leaders’ statements.
A video widely shared on social media shows the Taliban’s Minister of Education, Sheikh Molvi Noorullah Munir, questioning the relevance of higher education.
“No Ph.D. degree, master’s degree is valuable today. You see that the Mullahs and Taliban that are in the power, have no PhD, MA or even a high school degree, but are the greatest of all,” Sheikh Molvi Noorullah Munir is heard saying in the video. The remarks, as expected, drew huge criticism.
“Why is this man talking about education,” said one Twitter user.
“Minister of Higher education saying higher education is not worth it,” another user said.
“Such shameful thoughts about education, having them in power is catastrophic especially for the youth & children!” read one of the posts on Twitter.
In the Taliban’s new “interim government”, which will be led by led by Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund, Mullah Mohammad Hassan, the little-known head of the Taliban’s leadership council, has been named as acting Prime Minister.
UN-designated terrorist Sirajuddin Haqqani is the new acting Interior Minister in the 33-member cabinet that has no woman member.
“As I speak and today, the Taliban announced their government. It is anything but inclusive,” Afghanistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Ghulam Isaczai said on Tuesday.
