Flattery Today for Yesterday’s Enemy: Mawlawi Lotfollah Azizi Violates Ethical Principles.
Recent statements by Mawlawi Lotfollah Azizi, former governor of Jowzjan province under the republican government, have sparked widespread criticism.
Once a vocal critic of the Taliban, Azizi has now begun praising the group, calling them “invincible” and a “people’s government.” In his recent remarks, he urged citizens to unite under the Taliban regime an obvious shift from his previous stance.
During his tenure as governor under the republic, Azizi repeatedly emphasized that Afghan security and defense forces were fully capable of protecting the lives and property of the people, and that the Taliban could never succeed through warfare.
He accused the group of targeting civilians and destroying public infrastructure, stating that they believed in nothing but violence.
Critics now describe his apparent reversal from praising Ashraf Ghani and Marshal Dostum to commending the Taliban as a “profit-driven flip-flop.” Many citizens say their trust in politicians, clerics, and religious figures who change positions with shifts in power has been deeply eroded.
Observers argue that exploiting religion for personal gain fosters public distrust, and that such figures would do better to stand on “the right side of history,” though the Taliban have not responded to these criticisms.
