Senior Taliban Official Claims Mullah Omar Fought for Ethnic Unity in Afghanistan

Abdul Salam Hanafi, the administrative deputy of the Taliban’s prime minister, stated on Sunday, November 22, during a ceremony in Kabul, that the uprising led by Mullah Omar, the group’s founder, aimed to end ethnic divisions among Afghanistan’s various communities.

Hanafi also said that implementing Islamic Sharia law and restoring the dignity of the Afghan people were among Mullah Omar’s objectives. He emphasized that over the past four decades, Afghanistan has fragmented into islands of power, leading to national disunity.

Despite the tumultuous and violent recent history of Afghanistan, which has seen widespread violations of the rights of various ethnic groups by armed factions, particularly the Taliban, Hanafi claimed that the rights of all groups in Afghanistan are now being upheld.

These assertions come amid strong criticism from international organizations and civil society activists over the Taliban’s ethnically driven policies, systemic marginalization of minorities, and ongoing human rights violations — especially targeting women and religious minorities.