British Muslim clerics praise ‘beautiful’ Taliban and the ‘true freedom’ they felt during ‘fact-finding mission’ to Afghanistan

British Muslim clerics who have embarked on a so-called ‘fact-finding’ mission to Afghanistan have praised the ‘beautiful’ Taliban leaders for bringing freedom to the country after taking power during the US withdrawal in August 2021.

The imams traveled to Afghanistan last summer as part of a trip organized by Prosper Afghanistan, a British-based NGO that aims to support reconstruction initiatives, and the Human Aid & Advocacy group.

The all-male delegation spent eight days touring Afghanistan and meeting with Taliban leaders, making statements on Afghan TV extolling their virtues, before returning to Britain to continue their praise for the Taliban during an event at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).

Muslim outlet 5 pillars reported that the trip was aimed at dispelling ‘myths’ about Afghanistan following the ‘complete distortion of reality’ by the Western media in the country.

A member of the group, Mufti Ismail Satia, told the 250-strong crowd at QMUL: ‘We went to Afghanistan with a very open mind… it brought back to me the stories of the Sahaba (companions of the Prophet Muhammad). that we read.

“They reminded me of those who sacrificed for Islam and those who were willing to do anything for Islam.”

Shaykh Haitham Al-Haddad, meanwhile, defended the Taliban’s restriction on girls’ education, claiming that any criticism of the measure is nothing more than Western propaganda to demonize hardline Islamists.

‘Western secular influences were driven into the minds of the students who spoke against Sharia and many vices crept in… when the time comes to rebuild the country we cannot tolerate division and that is why there is a temporary suspension of the liberal , secular education would have been necessary. place.’

Muslim outlet 5pillars reported that the trip was aimed at dispelling ‘myths’ about Afghanistan following the ‘complete distortion of reality’ by Western media in the country

Armed Taliban security personnel ride in a vehicle convoy as they parade past the US Embassy in Kabul on August 15, 2023, during the second anniversary of their takeover

The trip, organized in July 2023, took place weeks before the Taliban celebrated the second anniversary of their return to power and takeover of Kabul.

Taliban leaders point to the apparent lack of conflict in Afghanistan as evidence that their government has brought security and peace to the country, which was ravaged by war decades earlier.

There also appears to be a reduction in corruption, which was widespread during the two-decade rule of Western-backed governments, thanks to aid money flowing into the country.

But human rights observers say this relative security was achieved through brutal policing and a restriction of general freedoms – and has been devastated by a rise in terror attacks by extremist groups.

And the plight of women has become dire since the return of the Taliban.

Girls over the age of 12 have been largely excluded from school, and the government has also barred the majority of Afghan female workers from working in aid agencies, closed beauty salons, barred women from public spaces such as parks and gyms, and restricted women’s travel at lack of education. a male guardian.

Journalism and activism, which also flourished during the two decades of rule by Western-backed governments, have been significantly suppressed and a slew of media workers and campaigners have been arrested.

But these factors seemed of little importance to the British imams, who sang their hosts’ praises on Afghan television.

Suliman Gani, a Muslim chaplain at St George’s Hospital in the Tooting area of ​​London, told the RTA Network: ‘We understand your vision and it is very, very positive… the government itself has created such an amazing vision that has really touched my heart, really impressed me and gives us more confidence .’

Al-Haddad, meanwhile, dismissed the importance of women’s education and said the Taliban should focus on consolidating security, economics and spirituality.

“Security (is) the first element of the creation of a country and the second is economy and the third is the spiritual dimension,” he said.

‘Then we can discuss other matters about women’s education.

The British imams sang their hosts’ praises on Afghan television before returning to London to extol their virtues

Taliban supporters parade through the streets of Kabul on August 15, 2023

Afghan women wait for food rations to be distributed by a humanitarian aid group, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Speaking at QMUL, Hamid Mahmood, the founder of a Muslim girls’ school in East London, told the audience about the freedom he felt in Afghanistan.

“It was quite a sad and painful experience to leave that country, because I will be very honest and I said very clearly that there was something, a sense of outright freedom,” he stated.

‘After talking to many ministers, we realized what freedom meant. They sought to free themselves not only from physical oppression, physical subjugation and colonialism, but also from financial, economic and also intellectual slavery.”

But Zalmai Nishat, founder of the anti-extremist Etidal Peace and Democracy Foundation, said The times: ‘This is a perfect exercise of whitewashing and glorifying the Taliban… this security they talk about comes at the expense of freedom and marginalization of ethnic communities in Afghanistan.”

A spokesperson for QMUL told The Times that the September event was not sponsored by the university, adding that it was jointly organized by Prosper Afghanistan and Human Aid & Advocacy.