WATCH: Old video of Taliban giggling about women contesting election goes viral

As the whole world witnessed that on August 15, the Taliban militants recaptured Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul almost two decades after they were driven by US troops, an old video of Taliban breaking into laughter on the topic about women contesting in elections has gone viral now. The video is part of Vice News’s special documentaries.

In a clip from one of the episodes of the documentary Vice News’s journalist, Hind Hassan, interacts with a few Taliban and questioned them about the women’s rights if they rule in Afghanistan. Their reaction the question was in favour of the women. However, when the journalist asked if they would be willing to accept democratic governance that voted in female politicians, the Taliban giggled and a laughter breaks out following which they asked her to stop filming the interview.

Taliban collapses with laughter as journalist asks if they would be willing to accept democratic governance that voted in female politicians – and then tells camera to stop filming. “It made me laugh” he says.pic.twitter.com/km0s1Lkzx5

— David Patrikarakos (@dpatrikarakos) August 17, 2021

The Afghan security forces were well funded and well equipped. However, the Taliban militants seized much of the country following the withdrawal of US troops that began in early July. The Taliban leader, in a recent statement, said that women will have freedom under Islamic law. It has been indicated that the group will not make burqa mandatory in the country, but the hijab will be mandatory.

It is noteworthy of that the after the Taliban captured Kabul in 1996, the Sunni Islamist organization put in place strict rules. Women had to wear head-to-toe coverings, weren’t allowed to study or work and were forbidden from traveling alone. TV, music and non-Islamic holidays were also banned.

In 2017, the Taliban issued an open letter to the newly elected US President Donald Trump, calling on him to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan following which the Taliban and the Trump administration finally signed a peace deal in 2020.

The US agreed to withdraw troops and release some Taliban prisoners, while the Taliban agreed to take steps to prevent any group or individual from using Afghanistan to threaten the security of the US or its allies. But unfortunately that did not bring peace.