BERLIN: The German Foreign Ministry has launched an investigation into the entry of Abdulbari Omar, a Taliban official, into Germany after he delivered a speech at an Islamic center in Cologne. The ministry, affirming that Germany does not recognize the Taliban as an official administration, stated that no visa had been issued to Omar.
Abdulbari Omar, identified as the head of the Taliban’s Food and Drug Administration, defended the Taliban government in his speech at an Islamic center in Cologne, urging people to focus on the “achievements of the Taliban” irrespective of media reports. The speech, shared on Omar’s social media page, has sparked reactions from various Afghan citizens in Germany and calls for an investigation.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, on his social media platform, mentioned that Omar highlighted “security, reconstruction, and prosperity” in Afghanistan during his speech and urged the Afghan diaspora to contribute to the country’s development.
German Foreign Ministry on Recognition of Taliban Regime
In response, the German Foreign Ministry, in a statement, disavowed any recognition of the Taliban as an official entity and expressed ignorance regarding Omar’s visit to Germany. The statement emphasized that Germany would not normalize relations with the Taliban regime as long as they openly violate human rights, particularly those of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs, where Omar spoke in Cologne, declared that their trust had been “misused.” They clarified that an Afghan association had requested to conduct religious rituals, but the event transformed into a political conference with an “unknown” speaker.
The Islamic Union firmly rejected any form of association, even moral, with the Taliban, reaffirming its commitment to a clear separation between religious practices and political agendas.
