Members of the Afghan Taliban expressed concern for detained British-American influencer Andrew Tate in an online forum announced by beauty-queen-turned-independent-journalist Sameera Khan on Saturday.
“They are worried about Andrew Tate and they are asking us if he’s free yet,” the self-ascribed anti-woke journalist tweeted Saturday. In the Twitter Space hosted by Khan, members of the Taliban claimed “westerners need Andrew Tate because we are oppressed by feminists.”
We are hosting a Twitter space with the Afghan Taliban to discuss the detainment of Andrew Tate.
They are worried about Andrew Tate and they are asking us if he’s free yet.
They say westerners need Andrew Tate because we are oppressed by feminists.
— Sameera Khan #FreeTopG (@SameeraKhan) December 31, 2022
Romanian authorities raided Andrew Tate’s house in Bucharest and detained both the influencer and his brother on suspicion of rape and human trafficking, the BBC reported. The former kickboxer gained notoriety for misogynistic statements, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Tate converted to Islam in 2021, according to Newsweek. Twitter previously banned the influencer for stating women should “bear some responsibility” for sexual assault, the BBC noted. His account was reinstated after tech magnate Elon Musk took over Twitter.
Since Tate’s detention, Khan emerged as a vocal supporter of the online influencer, adding “#FreeTopG” to her Twitter account in a reference to Tate’s nickname, Newsweek reported. Khan promised to share “short clips” from the Twitter space after one user, a proud “citizen of the only Islamic country in the world,” urged her to include his comments on the “suffering ordinary Afghans faced because of the illegal brutal invasion.” (RELATED: 20 Years Of American Influence Reversed As Taliban Order Full Enforcement Of Sharia Law)
We are hosting a Twitter space with the Afghan Taliban to discuss the detainment of Andrew Tate.
They are worried about Andrew Tate and they are asking us if he’s free yet.
They say westerners need Andrew Tate because we are oppressed by feminists.
— Sameera Khan #FreeTopG (@SameeraKhan) December 31, 2022
A number of users who participated in Khan’s Twitter space claimed affiliation with the Taliban, including Shahab Lewal, according to Newsweek. The Daily Caller was not able to confirm whether the other participants were affiliated with the Taliban government, but Lewal has been quoted in a number of publications as a Taliban official.
Afghanistan succumbed to Taliban rule after the August, 2021 withdrawal of US forces from the country. Taliban leaders have since severely restricted women’s rights with laws regulating travel, dress and education.