Clerics vow loyalty to Taliban, but no word on girls’ schooling

The men-only meeting’s final declaration was mostly a regurgitation of the Islamist movement’s own doctrine.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid addresses the media in Kabul last week. Picture: AFP

Thousands of Afghan clerics have pledged loyalty to the Taliban, but ended a three-day meeting without recommendations on how the hardline Islamist group should govern the crisis-hit country.

The men-only gathering was called to rubberstamp the Taliban’s rule, and ahead of the meeting officials said criticism would be tolerated and they could also discuss thorny issues such as secondary school education for girls.

Media were barred from the event, although speeches were broadcast on state radio – including a rare appearance by the Taliban’s reclusive supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.

Taliban officials presented the gathering as an opportunity for clerics to independently say how they wanted the country to be governed, but the meeting’s final declaration late on Saturday was mostly a regurgitation of their own doctrine.

It called for allegiance to Mr Akhundzada, loyalty to the Taliban, and the complete acceptance of sharia law as the basic principle of rule. “By the grace of God, the Islamic system has come to rule in Afghanistan,” the declaration read. “We not only strongly support it, but will also defend it. We consider this to be the national and religious duty of the entire nation.”

Since returning to power in August, the Taliban’s harsh interpretation of sharia law has imposed severe restrictions on Afghans – particularly women.

Secondary school girls have been barred from education and women dismissed from government jobs, forbidden from travelling alone, and ordered to dress in clothing that covers everything but their faces.

The Taliban has also outlawed playing non-religious music, banned human figures in advertising, ordered TV channels to stop showing movies and soaps featuring uncovered women, and told men they should dress in traditional garb and grow their beards.

The final declaration made no mention of girls’ schooling, but called on the government to pay “special attention” to modern education, as well as justice and the rights of minorities “in the light of Islamic law”.

It said the new government had brought security to the nation – despite an attack on the meeting on Thursday by two gunmen that was claimed by the Islamic State, which has regularly carried out bomb blasts and ambushes since the Taliban’s return.

“We call on the countries of the region and the world … to recognise the Islamic Emirate as a legitimate system,” the declaration read. “Interact positively, lift all sanctions on Afghanistan, unfreeze the assets of the Afghan people and support our nation.”

Afghanistan, long dependent on international funding for survival, has been in the grip of an economic crisis since the US froze nearly $US7bn in assets held abroad – earmarking half for the families of victims of the 9/11 attacks.

US officials, wary of releasing assets that could be used directly by the Taliban, are meeting with its officials in Qatar to see how they might be able to free up some funds to provide relief to tens of thousands affected by a deadly earthquake in the east of the country last week.

The highlight of the clerics’ meeting was Friday’s appearance by Mr Akhundzada, who has not been filmed or photographed in public since the Taliban returned to power.

The “Commander of the Faithful”, as he is known, rarely leaves the Taliban’s birthplace and spiritual heartland of Kandahar and apart from one undated photograph and several audio recordings of speeches, has almost no digital footprint.

In Geneva on Friday, the UN human rights chief urged the Taliban to look to other Muslim countries for inspiration on improving the rights of women in a religious context.

Addressing an urgent council debate on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan, Michelle Bachelet said they were “experiencing the most significant and rapid roll-back in enjoyment of their rights across the board in decades”.

AFP