Conservative critics are slamming Twitter for allowing a Taliban spokesman to tweet after banning Donald Trump from the platform for life.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has had an active Twitter account since 2017, and over the weekend tweeted live updates as the Islamic militant group stormed the Afghan capital of Kabul.
Though his account is not verified, Mujahid is often quoted by the media, and his Twitter bio reads ‘Official Twitter Account of the Spokesman of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan‘ in reference to the Taliban’s new self-designation.
On Sunday, Mujahid tweeted that Taliban soldiers had ‘conquered’ Kabul, as Taliban soldiers stormed the presidential palace and government buildings.
Trump was permanently banned from Twitter over the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, with the company explaining that he had violated its ‘Glorification of Violence policy’.
Twitter said in a statement at the time that Trump’s tweets ‘are likely to inspire others to replicate the violent acts that took place on January 6, 2021.’
Conservative critics including Republican lawmakers were quick to accuse Twitter of hypocrisy.
The Taliban Spokesman has a Twitter account without any problem. Meanwhile, President Trump is banned from the platform,’ tweeted Rep. Claudia Tenney, a New York Republican. ‘Something is very wrong here.’
‘Why on God’s green Earth does the Taliban spokesman have an active Twitter account but not the former President of the United States?’ asked Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a North Carolina Republican.
‘Who’s side is the AMERICA BASED Big-Tech companies on?’ he added.
Adrian Hilton, a conservative academic and lecturer on political philosophy in the UK, also pointed out the apparent double standards.
‘Twitter banned Donald Trump for expressing support for rioters who stormed the US Capitol. Twitter permitted the Taliban official spokesman to live-tweet Mujahideen terror, the acquisition of arms, storming the Afghanistan capital, and the occupation of the presidential palace,’ he wrote.
Over the weekend, the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan was all but complete, after the U.S. spent two decades and billions of dollars attempting to prop up a democratic government friendly to the West.
The U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 ousted the Islamist militants from power, but they never left, and returned to power after Afghan government forces completely capitulated.