Taliban diss Time Magazine cover

A recent cover photo on Time Magazine has stirred some debate in journalistic circles. Is it a harsh truth that needs to be told, or is it sensationalism for the sake of selling magazines?

It took a while, but the Taliban have also chimed in – they don’t like the cover:

Time magazine has recently published a picture of an Afghan women Aisha, and described her horrifying story which is connected to the Taliban under the title ‘Afghan women and the return of the Taliban’. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan rejects this fabrication by the Americans, who are publishing these lies to divert attention of the people from their clear and disgraceful defeat …. This picture published by Times magazine and the barbaric story wrongly attached to Islamic Emirate is not only false but publishing these images are against the morals and ethics of professional journalism. A lot of journalists worldwide have condemned this act of Times magazine and called it a crime against journalism ….

If the Taliban are honest about this part:

As far as the story of Aisha is concerned, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has condemned this barbaric, inhumane and unislamic act and declare that this case has never been forwarded to any court or persons of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan uses Shariate law to solve any internal or human right issues. Shariat law promotes peace and justice to the society, not hatered and cruelty.

then I sure wouldn’t want to be the in-laws who cut off this young woman’s ears and nose.

In sacred Islamic law, cutting of human ears and noses whether the human is alive or dead is illegal and prohibited. In many hadith from Muhammad PBUH**, cutting of noses, ears and lips of a dead unbeliever is prohibited so how can Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan carry this act out especially when the person to whom it is done is alive and Muslim. Under shariate law if someone carries out this heinous act, the same thing will be done to the criminal that carried out this act.

I await a Voice of Jihad missive on their fate.

Also, it seems that translators for ISAF forces may not be the ONLY ones who have to worry now:

We also call on Afghani media to stop spreading the lies of Islam hating western media by becoming their translators. Journalism is an important duty so stop wrongly using it.

I await news organizations to bash the Taliban on this threat.

Bottom line: We see the Taliban are using a timely and newsworthy issue to make it look as if the Western media are lying, especially when there are bad things being done in the name of cultural conservatism, something the Taliban would love to see more of (statements like this notwithstanding).

** – Peace Be Unto Him

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Tags: Afghanistan