Abumoslem Khorasani

This study examines the Twitter-X accounts of individuals accused of lobbying for the Taliban, addressing how these individuals engage on the platform. The findings reveal that individuals accused of lobbying for the Taliban, with less than one million followers, 12,000 followings, and 120,000 tweets, have created a media structure on Twitter-X. These accounts use virtual spaces as a form of social capital to promote the interests of the Taliban and conduct lobbying activities on the group’s behalf. The actors within the media structures of the Taliban’s online lobbyists emerge from four distinct public spheres: the “Taliban Public Sphere,” the “Afghanistan Public Sphere,” the “Diaspora Public Sphere,” and the “Global Public Sphere.” In this context, these lobbyists act as intermediaries between the four spheres, facilitating part of the Taliban’s communication with the world.

Content-wise, the Taliban’s online lobbyists carry out the lobbying process using three concepts and nine methods. These include the legitimization of the Taliban, active engagement in political discourse, and the construction of narratives that serve to portray the group in a favorable light. The strategic application of visual imagery, particularly through the publication of photographs of Taliban leaders, the emphasis on positive reports, and the reframing of the Taliban’s nature, constitutes a form of “whitewashing.”
Finally, the representation of the group’s interests manifests in several forms: opposing critics of the Taliban, offering counsel to the group, resisting military campaigns, and promoting the narrative of “ending the war.” Despite the semi-structured, highly decentralized, and fragmented nature of the Taliban’s online lobbyists on Twitter-X, their efforts are nonetheless effective in achieving their objectives.

The Persian version of this article is accessible here.