Taliban terrorists are returning to enforcing extreme measures against those who violate Sharia law, including executions and amputations of hands.
“Everyone criticized us for the punishments in the stadium, but we have never said anything about their laws and their punishments,” Mullah Nooruddin Turabi told The Associated Press. “No one will tell us what our laws should be. We will follow Islam and we will make our laws on the Quran.”
Turabi — who oversaw public executions in stadiums, was notorious for destroying music tapes, had berated women, beaten men who trimmed their beards, and banned sports — said that the regime’s extreme punishments would return.
The AP reported:
At that time, the world denounced the Taliban’s punishments, which took place in Kabul’s sports stadium or on the grounds of the sprawling Eid Gah mosque, often attended by hundreds of Afghan men. Executions of convicted murderers were usually by a single shot to the head, carried out by the victim’s family, who had the option of accepting “blood money” and allowing the culprit to live. For convicted thieves, the punishment was amputation of a hand. For those convicted of highway robbery, a hand and a foot were amputated.
“Cutting off of hands is very necessary for security,” he said, adding that the Taliban would “develop a policy” about where they carry out their punishments. The Taliban have already revived extreme public shaming campaigns for people who allegedly committed petty crimes.
Turabi’s comments are especially troubling for Democrat President Joe Biden, who has seen his public approval rating crater in recent months after his disastrous withdraw from Afghanistan. The administration praised the Taliban earlier this month as showing “flexibility” and being “businesslike and professional.”
Perhaps the most problematic portion of the AP’s report for Biden was the following:
He said now the Taliban would allow television, mobile phones, photos and video “because this is the necessity of the people, and we are serious about it.” He suggested that the Taliban saw the media as a way to spread their message. “Now we know instead of reaching just hundreds, we can reach millions,” he said. He added that if punishments are made public, then people may be allowed to video or take photos to spread the deterrent effect.
There was concern initially that the Taliban might move to restrict internet access or cut off their citizens from showing the rest of the world the things that happen inside of Afghanistan. However, if the Taliban views spreading images of violence as a positive for them, then that means those images will get out and the atrocities will at least in part be blamed on Biden.
The Hill reported early on Friday morning that Democrats are concerned the numerous negative images that have gone viral on social media have significantly damaged Biden politically, highlighting specifically Afghanistan and the southern border of the United States.
The Hill reported:
Joel Rubin, a former deputy assistant Secretary of State under the Obama administration, says it can be difficult for administrations to react quickly when images in the media get significant traction and become symbols of a policy.
“It’s a culture based on privacy and discretion. There’s 20 people that work on an issue. When a photograph comes up and it’s in the media cycle, it affects all 20,” Rubin said. “But not all 20 are empowered to do something about that, get out in front of the camera and speak. There’s a bureaucracy to it. It creates stress on policymakers, absolutely. It creates a political environment that shapes the policy response.”