Most of us have seen the recent Taliban interview with Mawlawi Mahdi, a Shia-Hazara commander of the #Taliban in the Balkhab district of Sar e Pul Province. Are the Taliban now becoming inclusive force & accepting other sects and ethnicities? We don't know. A few thoughts:

About the interview: Mahdi says the reason he joined the Taliban was because of the occupation of the Jews and Christians aka Americans and that he finds the Islamic emirate inclusive of all Afghans. He sounds educated than your regular Taliban field commander in Quranic verses.

Mahdi asks Shias to recall that the time when Shias were the pioneers of Jihad against the Soviet Union but why they are silent now against the occupation of the Christians & Jews (Americans) and their puppet regime? Why don't Shias join the Sunni brothers in the holy war?

He quote's Shias Imam Ali: "do not listen to a person because who he is but listen to him if he has the right thing to say." Theologically Shias disagree with the Sunni Taliban, but according to him, the Taliban have the right things to say - jihad against the occupation.

Mahdi says for years he has been saying to Shia leaders including the ones in Qum, that they were on the wrong side of the history [by supporting the Americans]. He says he has been going through tough times, including spending time in the mountains & not having enough to eat.

He uses the country as a mother metaphor & says: "We have left our mother alone with the foreigners." A misogynistic assertion but he tries to get the zealots on his side & provoke zeal. He maintains the Taliban's anti-Christian narrative well alive throughout the interview.

The interview itself is great propaganda material for the Taliban: 1/ showing the world (& perhaps Iran) that they have become inclusive club & 2/ influence the Shia population where irregular forces like Mahdi can join them & create problems for the provincial governments.

Afghan #Shias at large are not convinced that the Taliban have become an inclusive force. In the 1990s the Taliban massacred Shias in Bamyan, Yakawlang, and Mazar. Shia religious events were banned in Kabul & in Mazar, Shiasim was outlawed. https://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/afghanistan/afghan101-03.htm

The Taliban killed Abdul Ali Mazari, the head of Wahdat party, Shia-Hazara party when he attempted to reach a political deal with the group. Today many Shia populations travel with fear between #Afghan cities & their villages because of the threat from the Taliban.

Taliban have abducted & killed several Shia civilians on the highways. Also, the group maintains contacts with anti-Shia groups in Pakistan who regularly bomb Shia mosques inside Pakistan. https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/peace-means-afghanistan-hazara-minority-190917151220650.html

In the post-2001 era, Shias have overwhelmingly supported the government in #Kabul. Shia areas have largely remained peaceful. It is unlikely that the Shias willingly will form an alliance with the Taliban but opportunist forces like Mahdi or regional actors can take advantage.

Who is Mahdi? He is an ex Wahdat party affiliate & responsible for a number of attacks on ANSDFs, abduction & extortion. In Nov 2018, Sar e Pul MP Hussain Fahimi accused Mohammad Mohaqeq, the second V-CEO, enabling Mahdi as a warlord in the region. https://www.etilaatroz.com/67628/tension-between-mohaqqiq-and-fahimi-in-balkhab/

Mahdi had spent some 6 years in prison on criminal charges before being dispatched as Mohaqeq's viceroy in Balkhab to extract coal & share profit. Mohaqeq has denied all allegations & said Fahimi is making up allegations because he has lost re-elections.

In March 2019, one report has said that Mahdi has been killed alongside a number of Taliban commanders across #Afghanistan. https://af.sputniknews.com/afghan/201903033175008-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D8%AA%D9%87-350-%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8-%D9%87%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%87-%DA%AF%D8%B0%D8%B4%D8%AA%D9%87/ In June 2019, another report said that Mahdi has surrendered to the Afghan security forces in the region. https://www.pajhwok.com/dr/2019/06/20/%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%88%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%89-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%85-%D8%B4%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA