Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham Statement on Taliban Conquest
Leading figures in the insurgent group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which is the dominant faction in the insurgent-held regions of Idlib and its environs, have long expressed admiration for the Taliban in Afghanistan and its efforts in the face of the Afghan government that was backed by the United States and other international actors. For them, the Taliban’s recent victory in Afghanistan constitutes a victory for Muslims (i.e. Sunnis) and is an example of steadfastness in the face of a foreign occupation. Unsurprisingly, therefore, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham has released its own official statement congratulating the Taliban and the ‘people of the Afghans’. The statement highlights the Taliban’s years of fighting as an inspiration for its own ‘steadfastness’, while also urging the international community to recognise that it should not support oppressive regimes against the will of the peoples who reject them. The statement concludes with a hope for victory to liberate Syria and implement Islamic law.