Famous Afghan Comedian Who Made Jokes About The Talibans On Social Media, Was Killed, And His Death Went Viral

Afghanistan is the "land of the Afghans," a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central and South Asia.

Sharing borders with Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China, the country that occupies more than 650,000km² of land area is mostly mountainous with plains. It's the home for about 32 million people, composed mostly of ethnic Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks.

Afghanistan has a long history, which can be dated back to thousands of years. It has seen many empires and kingdoms, as well as numerous dynasties. The most recent, is its role in the post-Cold War conflict, as well as with the Taliban regime.

Ever since the Taliban swiftly took over Kabul following the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. and international troops in August of 2021, the fate of its people in the war-torn country remains under the control of the new governance.

And this time, Nazar Mohammad, a popular Afghan comedian, was killed by Taliban gunmen.

It all began when Nazar, also known as Khasha Zwan, was taken from his house at Kandahar province by a few Taliban armed with assault rifles.

He was then told to enter a car, sitting in the backseat between two Talibans.

One of the insurgent slapped him twice on the face, as he made jokes.

Nazar mocked the extremists despite being driven to the site of his execution.

It is reported that the incident happened on July 22, recorded on video, and was shared on social media networks.

Later, Nazar was found lifeless leaning on a tree bark, with his hands tied behind his back, and his throat slit and his body shot.

Human Rights Watch reported that Nazar was also beaten and shot several times, in what they have described as a "revenge killing" for making defiant jokes and mocking the Talibans on social media networks.

The murder happened as the Taliban is tightened its grip on other regions of Afghanistan, as its militants went offensive against security forces and civilians, before rapidly took military operation control at the capital, Kabul.

The news of the well-known comedian's death comes following reports that Taliban death squads have been going door-to-door, hunting those who have previously opposed them and taking them to extra-judicial execution sites.

Nazar was a famous Afghan comedian, whose routines included clowning around entertaining his friends and locals.

And among the ways, he also has a presence on social media networks.

It was on TikTok, that Nazar frequently made fun at the Taliban through songs and dances.

He would regularly make fun of topics suggested by his followers. And in Afghanistan, topics about the Talibans were no exception.

Following Nazar's murder, his family confronted the Talibans, blaming them for his death.

When confronted, the Taliban rejected any involvement in the incident. But eventually, the militants claimed responsibility for the murder.

At first, they said that Nazar was killed during an operation. But after the video of Nazar being slapped several times went viral, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid acknowledged that the two men in the video were Taliban militants.

The group said the suspects had been arrested and shall be tried in a Taliban court.

But in its defense, the group alleged that Nazar was previously involved in the torture and killing of Taliban, adding that he should have faced a Taliban court instead of being immediately put to death.

It's worth noting that the Taliban claimed that Nazar worked for the Afghan National Police, stationed at Shah Wali Kot District, and this made him a target for revenge killings. However, other sources said that Nazar was never part of the police, but only a comedian.

Zwan left behind a wife and daughters.

Following Nazar's death, those who said their condolences and denounced the incident, included Sarwar Danesh, the Afghan Vice President before the Taliban took over Kabul, Ambassador of Afghanistan to Sri Lanka M Ashraf Haidari, Ziauddin Yousafzai, whose daughter Malala Yousafzai survived being shot in the head by Taliban militants in Pakistan in 2012.

"Khasha has been making people laugh all his life. Heartless terrorists made Khasha's children cry," Ziauddin wrote on Twitter.

To the many people who grieve, Nazar was a man who brought smiles to many, and was killed brutally for being who he was.

It is said that incident marked the first major dents in the militant's group that attempt to rebrand itself to Taliban 2.0.

While its leaders promised that no harm could come to civilians working for the government, reports from human rights groups in Afghanistan suggest that militants have already broken their pledge not to carry out revenge killings after the government's collapse.

At this time, cities in Afghanistan are still at unrest, without thousands are desperately seeking to flee the country.