Video of Taliban laughing about idea of ‘women politicians’ goes viral

A video has gone viral of a Taliban fighter collapsing with laughter when asked a particular question about women in Afghanistan.

A video has gone viral of a Taliban fighter collapsing with laughter when asked about democratically voted in female politicians – and telling the camera to stop filming as he loses it.

In the viral clip, part of a documentary on the Taliban shot earlier this year, a female journalist quizzes three Taliban leaders who were expressing hope Afghanistan would have a Taliban president soon.

On the question of whether women’s rights were possible under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, the men’s reaction was affirmative.

But then the reporter asks: “Does that mean people will be allowed to vote in women politicians?”

The leaders break out in laughter and one of them – identified as Commander Khatab – asks her to stop filming the video as he shakes with mirth.

The interviewer is Vice News’s Hind Hassan, the only woman in the crew that went to Taliban-held territory in the then Afghan government-controlled country several months ago.

Ms Hassan was asked to wear a traditional blue Afghan burqa for the interview, Vice News reported.

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Seriously? Taliban leader hears the idea that Afghans could vote in women politicians and collapses in laughter.

You’re kidding: Commander Khatab loses it at the clearly ludicrous idea that a woman could rule the country like men do.

Stop it, you’re killing me: Commander Khatab begs the cameraman to ‘stop filming’ as he doubles up with mirth.

Taliban collapses with laughter as journalist asks if they would be willing to accept democratic governance that voted in female politicians - and then tells camera to stop filming. “It made me laugh” he says.pic.twitter.com/km0s1Lkzx5

— David Patrikarakos (@dpatrikarakos) August 17, 2021

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As the world watched the Taliban take over Afghanistan, the country’s president flee and the insurgents storming the capital Kabul, a clip of the video emerged and has gone viral with millions of views.

It may provide further doubt about the so-called “Taliban 2.0” as a somewhat moderate version of Taliban 1.0 that reigned in Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001.

In their first address to the press after taking Kabul, the Taliban leadership on Tuesday made it clear the Taliban had changed in the last 20 years.

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Vice News reporter Hind Hassan was required to don traditional dress to be part of the film crew doing the documentary on the Taliban.

Huh? Taliban leaders listen to the proposal about women having political roles with increasing incredulity.

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Though their ideologies remain the same, the group says it now has matured and does not want rivalry, revenge or overt suppression.

During its previous reign over the once-progressive Afghanistan, women were forced into wearing burqas and robbed of their rights.

Girls’ schools were close down and women were forced to leave their jobs.

On Tuesday, the Taliban leadership said women would have freedom under Islamic or Sharia law.

It indicated the group would not make the burqa mandatory in the country, but would require women to wear a hijab which does not obscure the face.

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