Original title: The Taliban held a historic press conference, and the spokesperson’s gentle attitude led to speculation
On August 17, local time, the Taliban held their first press conference since they seized control of Afghanistan. Spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid was the speaker who spoke most at the conference. But for most reporters at the scene, as important as the content of their speeches, this was the first time they saw Mujahid’s face.
On August 17, 2021 local time, Kabul, Afghanistan, at the press conference, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid.People’s Visual Map
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report on August 17, Mujahid has been hiding in the dark for many years, and the outside world often only perceives its existence through the voice on the other side of the phone.
In addition, according to India’s TIMESNOW news network on August 18, the New York Times reporter Sharif Hassan felt that for more than a decade, Mujahid was “more agile and more active than the entire spokesperson team of Afghan President Ghani. “,”I have talked to him and sent him messages, but this is the first time I have seen his face.”
Yalda Hakim, a BBC reporter at the press conference, said that although she has been in contact with Mujahid for more than ten years, seeing Mujahid’s face in person this time still “shocked” her. .
Mujahid showed a gentle stance at the press conference, saying that he “does not want any internal and external enemies.” Hakim felt that this was a far cry from the information he had previously learned about him: “He has been making bloodthirsty remarks for many years, and now he suddenly loves peace? It’s a bit difficult to reconcile.”
Other reporters also expressed their views on Mujahid on Twitter. BBC senior reporter John Simpson called Mujahid “a rather gentle and likable person.”
There has been another suspicion for a long time: Will Mujahid, who rarely show his face, actually be more than one person?
According to Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s chief correspondent for international affairs, such speculations existed before the rise of social media, when reporters contacted Mujahid via landlines. Someone pointed out that the spokesperson at the August 17 press conference looked too young, and it was unlikely that it was the Mujahid who had been answering outside questions for many years.
Indonesia’s “Compass” pointed out in a report that now, perhaps the outside world will accept Mujahid himself at the press conference on the 17th, but “will there be a lot of’Mujahid'”?
However, regardless of whether Mujahid is really just a person, and despite Mujahid’s cautious and gentle attitude on the 17th, Hakim is still full of doubts about his stance: “This is the way the Taliban is – they are’deceptive’, they It’s fascinating, they know how to use the right words, but you can never be sure whether you should believe them.”
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