Taliban Arrest Youths in Kandahar for Raising Former National Flag on Independence Day

Image: Jihad Watch

In Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban movement, at least 16 young men have been arrested for displaying Afghanistan’s former national flag during a private Independence Day gathering, according to local sources. The incident has once again highlighted the group’s intolerance toward symbols associated with the country’s republican era.

The arrests reportedly took place on Thursday as residents quietly observed the 106th anniversary of Afghanistan’s independence from British rule in 1919. To mark the occasion, participants raised the black, red, and green tricolor flag that once represented the Afghan republic. They also displayed a portrait of King Amanullah Khan, the monarch celebrated for securing the nation’s sovereignty more than a century ago.

Sources said that Taliban intelligence forces not only detained those physically present at the gathering but also targeted young people who had shared photographs of the flag on social media. This move reflects the Taliban’s ongoing efforts to suppress symbols of Afghanistan’s recent past and enforce their own white banner as the sole emblem of the nation.

A resident of Kandahar, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal, described the arrests as unjust and heavy-handed. “Our youths had done nothing hostile,” he said. “They only raised the flag that symbolizes our Independence Day. The Taliban arrested them as if they had committed a grave crime.”

Eyewitnesses reported that Taliban agents insulted the young men during the arrests, branding them “agents of infidels” and “hypocrites.” Some detainees were eventually released after their families signed written pledges guaranteeing their future compliance with Taliban rules. However, several others remain in custody, with no clarity on when—or if—they will be freed.

Since retaking power in August 2021, the Taliban have banned the use of the black, red, and green flag, which had flown during Afghanistan’s last two decades as a republic. Instead, they have re-imposed their white flag with the Islamic creed as the sole national emblem. Public displays of the former tricolor are treated as acts of defiance, often leading to harassment, arrest, or violence.

This latest crackdown underscores the widening gap between ordinary Afghans, who continue to honor their historical symbols of independence and national pride, and the Taliban, who seek to erase any reminders of the country’s republican past.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)