| Published April 14, 2025
Editorial: The Taliban’s Version of Islam Is a Weapon of Tyranny—Not a Religion of Peace
The Taliban’s recent declaration that public executions are part of Islam is not just a headline—it’s a wake-up call. Once again, the world is confronted with the reality that this regime, which cloaks itself in the language of faith, is nothing more than a brutal dictatorship using religion as a weapon to suppress freedom, terrorize citizens, and silence dissent.
For years, Western apologists have bent over backward to avoid confronting uncomfortable truths about radical Islam. They have insisted that the Taliban’s actions are somehow “cultural misunderstandings,” or the result of “Western intervention.” They’ve attempted to whitewash the Taliban’s brutality by painting it as part of a broader “peaceful religious tradition.” But this recent admission from a top Taliban leader strips away the façade. According to him, executions, amputations, and public lashings are not only acceptable—they are mandated by their interpretation of Islam.
This should horrify every freedom-loving person, no matter their faith or background. Because what the Taliban is practicing is not religion—it is authoritarianism under a religious guise.
Moral Clarity Must Replace Moral Relativism
In the West, we have developed an allergy to calling evil by its name. We are told that every culture is equal, every belief system is valid, and that judging another nation’s values is a form of bigotry. But that moral relativism falls apart in the face of tyranny. There is no justification for stoning women, publicly executing dissenters, or banning girls from school. These are not “cultural practices”—they are violations of basic human rights. And when leaders claim that such practices are divinely sanctioned, we must not remain silent.
Western democracies must stop entertaining the illusion that the Taliban can be “moderated” or “brought into the international community” through diplomacy and aid. The United Nations, humanitarian groups, and even some Western governments have flirted with the idea that continued engagement with the Taliban might soften their stance. That strategy has failed. The Taliban have not reformed—they’ve doubled down.
Rights groups and the U.N. condemned the killings while Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has previously rejected the need for Western laws in Afghanistan, AP reports.
“We will not abandon the enforcement of these rulings, even if it costs us our lives,” Akhundzada said during a religious seminar in Kandahar, referring specifically to the punishment of qisas, or retributive justice. “We will not yield to Western pressure.”
The Real Victims: Women, Children, and the Voiceless
Under Taliban rule, women have been erased from public life. Girls are banned from attending school beyond the sixth grade. Female journalists, doctors, and educators are threatened, beaten, or imprisoned. In the Taliban’s worldview, women are not human beings with rights and aspirations—they are objects to be controlled.
Children, too, are indoctrinated into a worldview where violence is normalized and questioning authority is a crime. Boys are trained in religious schools that teach extremist ideology. Girls are hidden away from public view, denied basic education and healthcare.
The Western media may have moved on, but the suffering in Afghanistan has not stopped. And it will not stop until the Taliban’s regime is exposed for what it is: a militant theocracy built on fear.
This Is Not Islam—This Is Extremism
It is important to say this clearly: the Taliban does not speak for all Muslims. Millions of peaceful, freedom-loving Muslims around the world reject this interpretation of Islam. But until the global Muslim community is empowered and supported to denounce and resist these extremists, the Taliban’s version of Islam will continue to dominate public perception—and their actions will continue to terrorize innocent people.
Western leaders, Muslim reformers, and human rights defenders must come together to draw a clear line between faith and fanaticism. The longer we tiptoe around the issue, the more we enable the Taliban to claim legitimacy they do not deserve.
The United States Must Lead with Principle, Not Appeasement
The Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 created the very conditions that allowed the Taliban to seize power again. Billions of dollars’ worth of U.S. military equipment fell into the hands of extremists. Promises were made to protect Afghan allies and women—but many were left behind, betrayed by a chaotic and cowardly exit.
Now, with the Taliban emboldened and unapologetic, it’s time for the United States to stop pretending that diplomacy will fix this. What is needed is strength, not submission; truth, not appeasement.
That means freezing Taliban assets. It means refusing to recognize their government in any formal capacity. It means supporting exiled Afghan leaders, underground resistance movements, and persecuted citizens with real resources—not just empty words.
Conclusion: Peace Requires Justice, Not Excuses
If the Taliban’s idea of peace includes executions in stadiums and repression in the name of religion, then it is not peace at all—it’s tyranny, plain and simple. No amount of PR spin or political correctness should blind us to that fact.
The world must remember: true peace is rooted in justice, liberty, and dignity for all people—especially the most vulnerable. The Taliban offers none of these. And the more we allow them to speak unchallenged, the more we betray the principles of freedom we claim to stand for.
It’s time to call evil by its name. And it’s time for the West to stop bowing to it.
SOURCES: BREITBART – Religion of Peace: Taliban Leader Swears Executions Are Part of Islam
ABC NEWS – The Taliban leader says executions are part of Islam
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