When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, they banned television and video cameras, declaring them as haram (forbidden by religion). However, after the group was driven from power, they started using the technology they once renounced as a tool to instill fear in the hearts of the Afghan people and to further their cause of returning to power in the country.
The videos that the Taliban distribute usually show Taliban fighters beheading people and attacking U.S. and NATO forces. With the use of these videos, the Taliban aim to make the people believe that the current government cannot protect them. As a consequence of showing these videos, some Afghans, fearing for their lives, have stopped working for government institutions.
One of the videos that shocked the international community and was greatly condemned by human rights groups was that of a young boy beheading a man accused of betraying Taliban insurgents. The video was distributed among the back alleys of Pakistan’s tribal areas along the Afghan border. The beheaded man was identified as Ghulam Nabi, a former insurgent from southern Pakistan accused of helping U.S. forces kill a senior Taliban commander in Afghanistan.
A group called As-Sahab Media is said to be producing some of the Taliban videos.