Ever since the Taliban seized control of Kabul on August 15, ordinary soldiers have been using the city to the fullest. When Taliban fighters are off duty, they visit animals at the Kabul Zoo, ride electric cars in amusement parks, take part in impromptu fights and play football in an abandoned mansion in the capital.
But the Wall Street Journal reports that Afghanistan’s new defense minister, the son of the Taliban’s founder, has told soldiers to stop having fun and focus on the task at hand.
“Follow your goals,” Maulavi Mohammad Yakub said in an audio message released Thursday. “You are violating our status, which was created by the blood of our martyrs.”
In his recent speech, according to media reports, Maulavi Yakub told soldiers that they should stop taking so many selfies because it could jeopardize the safety of Taliban officials. According to him, when these photos get on social networks, it may reveal the location and activities of the group’s leadership.
He also warns soldiers against driving too fast and adopting Western fashion. He says fighters should no longer wear shoulder-length hair, as well as stylish clothing and tall white sneakers.
“This is the behavior of military leaders and puppet leaders,” the defense minister warned, referring to the US-backed government, which was overthrown by the Taliban. “If we continue to behave like this, God forbid, we will lose our Islamic system,” he told them.