Hebatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, emphasized the importance of mutual trust and obedience during a recent educational seminar in Kandahar province.
In his speech addressing teachers and administrators of “jihadi madrasas,” he stated: “Have great trust in each other, because distrust leads to disobedience, and disobedience causes disagreements.
” This seminar was reportedly organized to enhance the capacity of religious school administrators and supervisors.
In another part of his speech, the Taliban leader emphasized the role of religious scholars in managing social and political affairs.
He declared that clerics are not only responsible for individual worship but are also appointed by God to manage political affairs.
Akhundzada praised the role of these scholars in training mujahideen and encouraging people to participate in jihad. He added that implementing Sharia is only possible through “reviving religious sciences” and urged educators to focus on shaping students’ beliefs, thoughts, and minds.
This speech comes amid reports of serious disagreements between the Kandahari faction led by Akhundzada and the Haqqani network within the Taliban. His emphasis on the prominent role of religious scholars in policymaking and government administration occurs as many Afghans have expressed concerns about non-professional governance and the replacement of professional personnel with inexperienced religious figures in government institutions.
