In Video: First Public Appearance Of Taliban Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada

November 1st, 2021

Awake Goy

Afghani media has covered the visit of the Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada to the southern city of Kandahar. The visit is believed to be his first public appearance since taking control of the group in 2016.

On October 30, Haibatullah Akhundzada visited the Darul Uloom Hakimah madrassa, where he delivered a speech to students and his supporters.

“May God reward the oppressed people of Afghanistan who fought the infidels and the oppressors for 20 years,” Akhundzada said, in the speech recording. “My intention here is to pray for you and you pray for me”.

Akhundzada has been the spiritual chief of the Taliban movement since 2016 and is currently a supreme leader of both religious and political authority over the de facto newly reinstated Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. He is referred to as “Amirul Momineen”, commander of the faithful, the rank conferred on the late Taliban founder Mullah Omar.