The video stated that Omar addressed the participants as follows: “There is security in the country, the reconstruction process is continuing, and everyone must contribute to the development of the country and use their capital to develop the country.” The German Foreign Ministry responded to a Taliban official holding a conference at a mosque in Cologne. The ministry’s statement included the following statements: “We condemn in the strongest terms the speech of Taliban representative Abdul Bari Omar in Cologne.” According to the data available to us, he was not issued an entry visa from one of our visa centers. We are considering additional measures in close dialogue with local authorities and our partners. We have not been notified of the travel involved. We do not recognize the Taliban. He added, “As long as the Taliban in Afghanistan recklessly violate human rights, especially the rights of women and girls, there will be no normalization with the Taliban regime.”
Ditib was also shocked
Following the backlash, the administration of the Cologne-Schurweiler Mosque, where the conference was held, issued a statement stating that permission had been granted for the event, organized by the Cologne-Michinich Afghan Cultural Association on November 16, “on the basis that it would be a religious event.” The statement said that they had distanced themselves from all types of relations with the Taliban, and said, “But, contrary to the contract, this event turned into a political event to which a speaker we do not know was invited.” The statement said, “We are shocked by this incident” and that the association in question was banned from entering DETIB’s facilities.
In the management statement, it was also emphasized that the Afghan Association, based in Cologne, is not part of DETIB. The statement said that Afghan Muslims, including members of the organization, worship in Ditib mosques, and that the association in question sometimes needs seminar rooms for religious practice and religious education activities.
(Tags for translation) Taliban