The Taliban government* believes in freedom of the press as long as it complies with Sharia

Government of the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” (IEA, self-name of the country by the Taliban*) believes in freedom of the press and supports media whose content is in accordance with Shariah and the national interest. This was stated by IEA representative Zabihullah Mujahid, speaking at a seminar organized by the Ministry of Higher Education, Ariana News reports.

“If we comply with Islamic principles, national interests and prevent the spread of rumors and propaganda of the special services, the government will support the press and the media in every possible way, and if the media operate within these frameworks, they will not have any problems, rather, even support, and these media will be the real media of our country”, Mujahid said.

He also urged officials to listen to criticism in the media.

“Let government officials patiently listen to criticism. If it’s not true, they must answer, and if it’s true, they must reform. This is cooperation between society and the state. When this cooperation is brought together by the media, we can have a developed and stable country.”

Mujahid stressed the importance of the impartiality of the media and said that they should be a “neutral bridge between the government and the people” so that the media’s credibility is increased and the rulers can solve people’s problems.

“The duty of the media is to be neutral and unbiased as they act as an intermediary between the government and the people. When they criticize the government or have objections or questions about the government, they should raise it as a third party. When the media acts as a third party, the government also trusts the media.” – he said.

The IEA representative assured that national unity and establishing relations with the outside world are part of the national interests of Afghanistan, and the media have an obligation to strengthen national unity in the country and prevent a split. According to him, nowhere in the world the media have absolute freedom and are subject to the laws of these countries, while Afghanistan, where the Islamic system operates, has its own laws that apply to the media.

*Terrorist organization, banned on the territory of the Russian Federation