Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has told the BBC that his real name is Tahir Shah Siddiqi, a name the broadcaster says he has publicly disclosed for the first time.
Mujahid used the alias Zabihullah Mujahid for years while communicating with the media during the Taliban’s insurgency and continued using the name after the group returned to power in 2021.
During the interview, Mujahid was also questioned about the Taliban’s promises at their first press conference after taking control of Kabul, particularly their statements regarding women’s rights.
He said the Taliban recognize women’s rights, freedom of expression and other rights within the group’s interpretation of Islamic law. Defending restrictions on women’s employment in some sectors, he claimed that their presence could create conditions for what he described as “immorality.”
Asked about the continued ban on education for women and girls, Mujahid said the issue remains under consideration and that the Taliban are seeking what he called a “Sharia-based solution.”
Mujahid also defended restrictions imposed on the media, saying the Taliban do not allow media outlets to publish whatever they want and that journalistic activity must not, in his view, contradict Islamic laws and values.
His remarks come amid continued international criticism of Taliban restrictions on women’s education, employment and public participation, as well as constraints on media freedom in Afghanistan.
