On Thursday, the Taliban issued instructions to mosque imams regarding the Friday sermon to be held tomorrow, the first in Afghanistan since the militant group took control of the country last Sunday.
In a message directed at the sermonizers in Kabul and other provinces, the Taliban stated: "Peace be upon you. We ask Allah for your success. We request all esteemed sermonizers to address the following topics in tomorrow's sermons:
1. Clarification of the interests of (Islamic governance) for the citizens, and a call for unity and agreement among the people.
2. Encouragement for citizens to collaborate in building and uplifting the homeland, and to avoid attempts to escape from it, as well as to return expertise and resources to the country.
3. A well-supported response to the negative propaganda from the enemy and their provocations, to reassure and instill confidence in the people."
The message was sent from a body identifying itself as the "Committee for Invitation, Guidance, Recruitment, and Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil."
In the days following the Taliban's takeover of the Afghan capital, Kabul, the group has attempted to convey reassuring messages both domestically and internationally, especially amid widespread concern regarding the behavior it will adopt in governing a country ravaged by ongoing conflicts.
