The Taliban is playing a very clever PR game. Its messaging is focused on amnesty, community reconciliation, stability & reconstruction, allegedly to make Afghanistan a prosperous country with friendly international ties. There’s also a soft, yet vague, msg on women’s rights. 1/
For a country that’s been plagued by conflict, instability & corruption for years, the Taliban thinks it knows what Afghans, and the int. community, want to hear. It also seems keen to win the support of Afghans, rather than only impose its rule by force. 2/
The Taliban says it will run the country & give freedoms to the media, women and other individuals, within the framework of Sharia law. We still don’t know the details of this, as there are various interpretations of Sharia - the Taliban were super strict last time they ruled. 3/
Taliban argues that Afghanistan is a Muslim-majority country and Sharia is a natural part of people’s values. The problem is, if many Afghans don’t want Sharia rule, rejecting it won't be an option under Taliban government. 4/
The Taliban has a tricky balance to achieve: if it wants to win Afghans and intl community, it needs to show genuine flexibility and change. If it does that, or goes too far there, it risks discrediting itself in the eyes of jihadists. But will they even matter to the Taliban? 5/
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