The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.

On August 14, 2024, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, i.e., the Afghan Taliban), released a Pashtu-language speech delivered by Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Hibbatullah Akhundzada on the third anniversary of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in which he prayed for liberation of Jerusalem.

The Taliban captured Kabul on Asad 24 according to the solar Hijri calendar, which in 2021 corresponded to August 15. This year, Asad 24 fell on August 14, and Taliban officials held events in various parts of the country.

Mullah Hibbatullah Akhundzada delivered his speech at an event in Kandahar, the southern city from which he rules, while other leaders, including rivals such as Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and Defense Minister Mawlawi Yaqoob Mujahid, sit in Kabul.

Following is the text of the speech, as translated from Pashtu:

"So Far, Success Is Going Well, And We Are Pleased With Allah, May Allah Be Pleased With Us – It Is An Islamic System, A Shari'a System, Shari'a Is Upheld"

"I congratulate everyone on this great victory [of the Taliban taking power on August 15, 2021] and success. Congratulations... may Allah accept the sacrifices of the mujahideen, may Allah accept the martyrdoms of the martyrs, may Allah accept the sacrifices of devout Afghans for this victory...

"Just as Allah freed the Muslims in Afghanistan from the oppression and occupation of unbelief, may Allah free all the Muslims of the world from the oppression of the oppressors, may Allah grant [them] success similar to what has been granted to the Muslims and mujahideen brothers of Afghanistan, today. May Allah grant this [success] to all the Muslims of the world.

"Our responsibility is to serve the religion and to uphold the sovereignty of shari'a. This is our responsibility until death; it is not a temporary duty. As long as we are alive, we will strive to bring the religion of Allah and the sovereignty of shari'a into ourselves and others. May Allah guide us. May Allah guide others through us. May Allah correct us... We ask Allah that this victory be permanent and enduring.

"Brothers, the jihads have been successful. We have experience in Afghanistan; the jihad was successful during the Soviet era; the mujahideen made many sacrifices. May Allah accept their sacrifices. Good, sincere mujahideen became martyrs, and sacred blood was shed. The Soviets were defeated, and Allah granted us success. We succeeded during that difficult time, but when the time came, the situation changed as well. Many times, a person succeeds in hardship but fails in ease and comfort...

"We were granted success in hardship, and the mujahideen made many sacrifices. May Allah grant us success also in comfort. So far, success is going well, and we are pleased with Allah, may Allah be pleased with us. It is an Islamic system, a shari'a system, shari'a is upheld, and the rights of Muslims are protected. There is security and peace today throughout Afghanistan. May Allah reward the mujahideen greatly for establishing peace in Afghanistan... the apparent reasons are them, but this peace is from Allah, and we thank Allah."

"If This Victory Is Lost, It Will Be Due To Your Negligence; Do Not Be Negligent; Focus On The Shari'a Of Allah; Ensure That Your Hearts Are Not Entangled In Positions Of Power Or The [Material] World"

"And now, as the Islamic system for implementing shari'a is working in Afghanistan and becoming stronger day by day, we say to the mujahideen brothers, scholars, and all devout Afghans: Do not be heedless. If this victory is lost, it will be due to your negligence. Do not be negligent; focus on the shari'a of Allah. Ensure that your hearts are not entangled in positions of power or the [material] world, and do not let your hearts be trapped in competitions.

"In the past, people competed for positions, started wars over power, formed groups and factions, and tribalism emerged... Discrimination began, and everyone set up their own rule. Protect yourselves from these things. Maintain friendship among yourselves and only hold enmity and friendship for the sake of Allah...

"Whoever is a friend of Allah will be our friend, and whoever is an enemy of Allah will be our enemy. Do not let a desire for power arise within you, nor a desire for tribalism, regionalism, or discrimination based on whether someone is from the north, south, east, or west. Do not let discrimination based on language, whether someone is Dari-speaking, Pashtun, Tajik, Uzbek, or Baloch... Maintain unity and brotherhood among yourselves.

"Allah will keep this system. Be cautious about the Islamic system. Rule [in favor of] Islam and Shari'a in your homes, rule [in favor of] it in your village, rule [in favor of] it in [dealing with] your children, rule [in favor of] it in [dealing with] your friends, and bring justice, justice. Look, apply Allah's order first to yourself, then to your children, then to your relatives, and then to other people. Look, there is no difference between them, whether they are mujahideen, scholars, rulers, or judges.

"If this Islamic system stands on justice and makes just decisions, then this system will remain, it will remain until the Day of Judgment. If oppression, cruelty, recommendations arise [within the system], and if the honorable person is not tried [in court for failings], and the poor person is tried... and justice is not implemented, then this system will not remain, then this system will be destroyed... Allah has granted you this success, a victory so great that it was beyond imagination, and such a situation was not anticipated. [Here in] Afghanistan came the West... brutal, terror, occupation, [the West] brought oppression..."

"May Allah Make [Palestinians] Free Like The Afghans Who Are Free, May Allah Bring Victory To Them, May Allah See This Masjid Al-Aqsa And Bayt Al-Maqdis [Palestine] Conquered"

"We will have mercy on these Muslims [Afghans], a lot of oppression has been done to these Muslims; these Muslims have been oppressed for 40-45 years. Now is the time to cover their wounds and serve them. May Allah give us the ability to serve both religiously and in worldly terms, but the priority will be religious service...

"Those who are in positions of responsibility should first teach the people about religion and provide religious service, and Islamic service. In the second step, [the officials] should serve them in worldly terms, provide economic service, and maintain the Bayt Al-Mal [House of Money]. May Allah make this situation permanent for the Muslims and Afghans and grant them steadfastness.

"Brothers, pray for your leaders... Pray for me as well... It is wajib [obligatory] that you pray for the guidance of the imam and emir of the time...

"May Allah forgive all the Muslims of Afghanistan, and may Allah forgive all the Muslims of the world. Pray that Allah free the Muslims of Palestine from the oppression of the Israel, may Allah, with Your grace and power, free them from the oppression and cruelty of the unbelievers that they are facing today, just as You freed the Afghans.

"May Allah make them free like the Afghans who are free, may Allah bring victory to them, may Allah see this Masjid Al-Aqsa and Bayt al-Maqdis [Palestine] conquered and liberated before our eyes. May Allah punish Israel like he punished Pharaoh, Nimrod, and Shaddad. May Allah give them a similar punishment. May Allah protect all the oppressed Muslims of the world from the cruelty of the oppressors. May Allah grant us the ability to perform righteous deeds..."