Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted on Sunday that the “compulsory” order from Haibatullah Akhundzada came after the secret leader met a group of judges. Akhundzada, who has not been filmed or photographed in public since the Taliban returned to power in August last year, rules by decree from Kandahar, the movement’s birthplace and spiritual heartland. The Taliban promised a softer version of the harsh rule that characterized their first term in power, from 1996 to 2001, but have gradually curtailed rights and freedoms. “Look carefully at the records of thieves, kidnappers and mutineers,” Mujahid said, according to Akhundzada. Those files in which all sharia [Islamic law] The conditions of hudud and qisas have been fulfilled, you are obliged to apply. This is the ruling of the Sharia and my command, which is obligatory.” Mujahid was not available Monday to expand on his tweet. Hudud refers to offenses for which, according to Islamic law, certain types of punishment are imposed, while qisas translates as “retribution in kind” – essentially an eye for an eye. Hudud crimes include adultery – and falsely accusing someone of it – drinking alcohol, theft, kidnapping and highway robbery, apostasy and rebellion. Qisas cover, among other things, murder and willful injury, but also allow victims’ families to receive compensation instead of punishment. Islamic scholars say that crimes leading to hudud punishment require a very high degree of proof, including – in the case of adultery – the confession or witness of four adult Muslim men. Since last year’s takeover, videos and photos of Taliban fighters summarily flogging people accused of various offenses have appeared frequently on social media. On several occasions the Taliban have also publicly displayed the bodies of kidnappers who they said were shot dead. There were also reports of adulterers being flogged in rural areas after Friday prayers, but independent verification was difficult to obtain. Rahima Popalzai, a legal and political analyst, said the decree could be an attempt by the Taliban to harden a reputation they may feel has been tarnished since their return to power. “If they really start implementing hudud and qisas, they will aim to create fear that society has gradually lost,” he said, adding that the Taliban also wanted to pad their Islamic credentials. “As a theocratic group, the Taliban want to strengthen their religious identity among Muslim countries.” The hard-won rights of women in particular have evaporated over the past 15 months and are increasingly being removed from public life. Most female government employees have lost their jobs or are paid little to stay at home, while women are also banned from traveling without a male relative and must cover themselves with a burqa or hijab when outside the home. Last week, the Taliban also banned women from entering parks, fairs, gyms and public baths. During their first period of rule, the Taliban regularly carried out punishments in public, including floggings and executions at Ghazi Stadium in Kabul.
