Piers Morgan Uncensored - Piers Morgan Uncensored: Talking to the Taliban

Episode Date: May 10, 2022

Piers Morgan talks to Suhail Shaheen the main Spokesperson of the Taliban in an unmissable interview plus so much more! Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored at 8pm on TalkTV on Sky 526, Virgin Media 627, Freeview 237 and Freesat 217. Listen on DAB+ and app. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good evening. I'm Pearce Morgan. Uncensored, tonight is the monarchy facing his biggest crisis. I go toe-to-to-live with the Taliban. And boxing legend Lennox Lewis will also be here live. But first, it's ladies' night for my brain dump. America's calamitous overnight exit from Afghanistan was a disgraceful disaster that proves President Biden's reputation forever on the world stage. It was a spineless surrender that made the US that weak, cowardly and chaotic.

There's no exaggeration to say that it may have emboldened Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine, sensing that the world's number one superpower may have lost its stomach for a fight. And most shamefully for a president who regularly boasts about being a women's rights champion, there's been no greater victim in this travesty than the millions of women of Afghanistan. In one fell capitulating swoop, they were catapulted back to the medieval dark ages of Taliban rule. These militant misogynists have kicked girls out of schools and banned women from most jobs. They've forbidden them from playing sports. They banned women from going to public parks on the same day as men or making long journeys without a male chaperone. It's been an

ever-escalating program of gender apartheid. And many of the truly courageous and inspiring women who dare protest have been either locked up or just disappeared. Now, a Taliban has decided that all women must wear a full head-to-to-to-burker, and their male relatives and employers have been made the enforcers. If women show their faces, their male guardian gets fine, or fired from his job. All this from his supposedly new and inclusive Taliban, which some people farcically branded Taliban 2.0. After seizing back power last summer,

they vowed to treat women more fairly. They lied. I don't ever want again to hear President Biden boast about his support for women's rights after the way he betrayed Afghanistan's women. But I do want to hold a Taliban to account for their treatment of women. And I'll do that tonight, live,

when I speak directly to their official spokesman. Well, nothing will make this. the Taliban frothed at the mouth more than the fact that for 70 years, Britain's had a female monarch. Queen Elizabeth is their sort of ultimate nightmare, a strong, independent, well-educated woman more than the equal of any man she ever meets.

But these are worrying times for Her Majesty, now in 96 and an increasingly poor health. Her most important constitutional duty is to open Parliament each year and give the Queen's speech, which formally sets out what her government plans to do. But today she missed it for the first time in 59 years. And the sight of her eldest son,

Prince Charles reading the Queen's speech for her, as he faked an occasional emotional glance at her crown placed pointedly nearby, was a massively significant moment in British history. To put all this into perspective... In these challenging times, Her Majesty's Government will play a leading role in defending democracy and freedom across the world,

including continuing to support the people of Ukraine. Well, to put all this into perspective, the last time an heir to the throne delivered a state, opening a parliament, Queen Victoria was still a toddler. But today was so much more than just a constitutional collector's item. No more wants to talk about this, but the monarchy and with it Britain is now hurtling towards a momentous transition. So much about what it is to be British has been defined by the constant stoic, stately presence of one woman.

So much about the Queen has defined what it means to be British. We're going to have to relearn what that means and discover whether the monarchy under Charles and then his own eldest son William can even survive, let alone thrive. The Taliban will doubtless be thrilled that our next two monarchs will be men, but we will all miss this magnificent woman more than they could ever understand,

and more than many of us may currently realize. America's ever had a female president, but according to President Biden's sister Valerie, the cavalry may soon be arriving. Unfortunately, it's not the kind of cavalry that any of us want to see coming over the hill. It's our old friend, Megham Markle. We embrace all women and we welcome her to come in and join the Democratic Party.

So you think she'll make a good potential candidate one day maybe for president? Yes, perhaps. Of course she will. What? Is that a joke? Perhaps there is somebody out there less suited to become a leader of the free world, but I can't currently think of one. Before you think this is some kind of joke, remember that Meghan Markle's old friends probably thought the same thing when she told them she's going to hook her claws into a British prince.

and make herself stupendously rich and famous. I wouldn't put anything past this scheming Princess Pinocchio who probably sees the White House as a perfectly feasible next rung on her relentless climb up the social ladder. Megan's already been exposed for it inappropriately phoning up bemused American politicians to harang them. And I'm sure she's looked at Donald Trump's success in 2016

and thought to herself, TV star, zero political influence, experience, craves money, deeply polarising, massive narcissist, and not currently talking to Pierce Morgan. She also needs a new career, let's face it, a current one as a professional two-faced exploiter of royal titles,

isn't going so well. Her children's book bombed. Her Spotify podcasts have barely been heard. Netflix just cancelled her animated series. And the Queen's banned her and hypocrite Harry from the Buckingham Palace balcony at the Platinum Jubilee. Yeah, Megan's doing the moment. and already planning the world's wokeest inauguration speech,

just don't say I didn't warn you. And from a woman who wouldn't inspire me to open a jar of cookies, and I love cookies, to one who's genuinely inspired millions of people in some of their very darkest moments. Hi, I'm Deborah James, also known as Bell Babe. Two and a half years ago at the age of 35, I was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer.

It was at that moment that my entire world changed, and they found a six and a half. sent to me to tumour in my bowel. Deborah James is an extraordinary human being, and she's battle stage four bowel cancer for five years. And during that time, she's hosted a podcast called You, Me and the Big Sea and a column in the sun in which she communicates about her struggle with astonishing candor, clarity and humility.

She doesn't pull any punches. It's sharp, it's witty, it's sometimes heartbreaking commentary on the kind of things people don't like to talk about what cancer does to your body, your children, your mental health. Today she revealed with typical frankness that her body just, can't cope any longer. She's under hospice care at home with her family waiting for the end of her remarkable life. The response to that heart-rending announcement has been quite staggering. She just asked supporters to buy her a glass of wine to see her out, and in 24 hours,

she's raised more than 1.7 million pounds for her bowel babe fund. On a day when inspirational women are in sharp focus, there aren't many more deserving of our respect and affection than Deborah James. And on behalf of everybody she's helped, normal lives, she's almost certainly saved through her informative educational homilies. I simply want to say this. Thank you, Deborah. We're coming up, I'll be talking to the Tannaband's official spokesman live. We'll also be debating the future of the monarchy. And then it's Lewis will be here to tell me why people should toughen up.

Hallelujah. Oh, and the world's gone nuts. Word all predictably has gone completely woke. All coming up and all uncensored. Don't miss it. Today was a hugely symbolic day for the British monarchy. As Prince Charles stepped in for the Queen of the State Open. the first time in 59 years at Her Majesty's Miss the event. It gave Charles a taste of his future role as King.

My lords and members of the House of Commons, Her Majesty's Government's priority is to grow and strengthen the economy and help ease the cost of living for families. Well, I'm joined now by the noted British historian Sir Anthony Seldon. Good morning to you, Sir Anthony Selden. It was a remarkable morning, wasn't it, to watch this moment, which has never happened in my lifetime,

to put it into historical context, but to see Prince Charles sitting in for his queen and his mother, of course, at the state opening of Parliament, was a big, big moment for this country. Yeah, it was a shock after 59 years. That's about your age, peers and a bit, to see somebody else, other than the monarch who has been reading out the Queen's speech.

her speech, but not written by her, to have somebody else doing it, was a significant moment. But I didn't think it was yet a historic moment. Is there any chance at all, do you think, that the Queen might abdicate before she dies naturally and passes the baton to her son? Because I've always been told by those who are plugged into the Royals that that would never be an option that they would take.

Well, she is 96 and that's old by anybody's standards and most people age 96 are not doing a pretty full-time job. And there would be two reasons why that might happen, why she might abdicate or why there might be a regency as there had been between 1811 and 1820 in Britain, where the monarch then went mad, George III and handed over. effectively all power of the monarch to his son, George the 4th, he became the monarch in 1820. I mean, you know, that could happen, peers, but it would need either severe physical infirmity or her losing her mental faculties. I mean, what is very clear is that she ain't going to give up. She has no intention of doing that. She said very clearly at the start of her reign that she would reign to the very end.

but for her losing her capacity or physically something going very wrong and her mother lived till over a hundred, let's remember, that's just not going to happen. The Queen has also reigned for over 70 years now, making the longest reigning British monarch. Is she the greatest British monarch? Well, the two you'd compare to, I guess,

would be Elizabeth I first, who reigned for well over 40 years and Queen Victoria, who reigned for some 60 between 1837 and 1901. And she, I mean, it was different, wasn't it? Because Elizabeth I first, the Armada, England had a different position in the world. The monarchy had unrivaled power. The monarchy ran the government then as doesn't happen now. So it's difficult always over history to make comparisons.

But I think she was incomparably a greater figure than Queen Victoria. Let's remember when Queen Victoria's husband, Albert, died at the beginning of the 1860. She went into mourning for a long time. Look at the way that the Queen has responded with her extraordinary commitment to her duty. I mean, she's very, very sad deeply. We feel that. We can see that losing Philip. but no sense of retreating into black and into mourning,

and frankly, self-pity, as Victoria did, prolonging it for that long. So I think she's certainly a much more effective monarch than Victoria, although, again, that was a different age. I think she's up there. You know, she's up there with the greatest monarchs of all time, William I, the first, Henry, the fifth, with Ashinghor, Henry, the end. that he wasn't very kind to his wives. So, yeah, I mean, peers, I mean, we are still living.

We are blessed to be living at the time of one of the greatest monarchs. Impossible to say she's certainly the greatest of my lifetime because she's the only one I've had in my lifetime. And that in itself is a remarkable fact. Sir Anthony, great to talk to you. Thank you very much indeed. Thank you. So is Prince Charles ready to be king or is this the beginning potentially of the end of the British monarchy? This is a debate raging everywhere at the moment.

Joining me now to discuss it, author and journalist Tony Parsons, political activist Kate Smirthwaite. Welcome to both of you. Thank you. Kate, let me start with you. We just had a historian put it into perspective. The Queen, one of the all-time great monarchs. Indisputably, if you're ranking monarchs, she'd be right up there to me, number one. But there's some other compelling candidates.

You don't like the concept of the monarchy, right? Yeah, I don't dislike that elderly lady. That would be ridiculous. But I just think it's 2022. And the time for having a monarchy was a few centuries back. And I think if anything has shown that, it's the recent Caribbean tour, isn't it? I mean, how patronising to have the British royal family wandering around the Caribbean, expecting people to bow and scrape in front of them.

And I think brilliant that people all across the Caribbean kicked back and said, hold on a minute, do you not understand the history and what this represents? And I think that the history of what the monarchy represents is no less of an issue in this country, where, you know, the working classes, the proletariat, have been continuously oppressed by this structure of the class system and the monarchy at the top of it. And I think it's about time that we all move on. And interestingly, you know, here I am,

you're asking my opinion about the monarchy. Here's how the monarchy works. We, you know, we are the riffraff, we are the bottom of the pile. We don't get an opinion. If you want an opinion on who should be monarch, then you, like me, want a republic. Hang on, you're getting an opinion right now.

Tony Parsons. But that's my point. A, do you identify as riffraff? And B, nobody knows the working class mentality of his country better than you. You've written about it for decades. What do you think about that? There are young people.

There's no, unquestionably, there are young people. A lot of them fueled by Meghan Markle's claims of racism and so on at the palace and so on, who have turned against the idea of a monarchy. I think the working class have always seemed quite keen on the monarchy to me. When I was a young punk in 1977, hanging out, with the sex pistols, it was the working class who wanted to give us a good kicking, the disrespecting the queen. I think that the queen, with her 70-year reign, has secured the monarchy for the next 100 years or so. I don't think anybody alive in this country

today will live in a republic. She's secured, she's made the case for the monarchy, and she's an exceptional woman, and circumstances were exceptional. She was so young when she came to the throne. She's lived such a long time. And I think, that combination of stamina and substance, and I think she's got better. I think she's got better with age since she jumped out of a helicopter before the 2012 London Olympics. With Daniel Gray. Through to the height of the pandemic, the 75-year anniversary of the Eidon. She was amazing in the pandemic. I would say, Kate, to you, I mean, I know the argument they're not elected people,

but I look at our elected officials. I look at Boris Johnson, Kea Stama, squabbling over who may have broken more lockdown. rules, who may have betrayed the trust of the people more. And you look at the Queen, who for 70 years, has held that trust, has kept our respect. I'm not sure that that's always been the case. They've definitely been times when I've been like, really, she's meeting the leaders of Saudi Arabia? Has she looked at the Amnesty International reports on their human rights record? There are definitely times when I've been like, actually, I'm not totally sure that she's doing the right thing or shaking hands with the right people.

But the fact that there are elected officials who are terrible, and I'm in no disagreement with you, that there's no shortage of those. I don't think that the answer is, well, let's just decide that democracy doesn't work and throw it out. It's very ironic, actually, to have seen Prince Charles today saying this government, Her Majesty's Government, will uphold democracy around the world. And you're like, but you're the embodiment of us not having democracy.

Yeah, but in a way, Tony Parsons, they're figureheads above our democratic system. They're not elected, but they do pay for themselves. I always make this argument to American friends who say, well, they must cost a fortune. Well, they do, but they also get it back from the huge tourism. and may attract, not least from the United States. Well, hang on, let's turn your response.

The Queen has been there for 14 Prime Ministers, seen them come and seen them go. And even Prime Ministers that won three general elections, like Thatcher or Blair, they seem like footnotes in that 70-year reign. And I think the fact that she's, I mean, I understand what Kate's saying about shaking the hands with Saudi Arabians.

But one of the great things about her is she's got this genius for having the poker face that she hasn't picked and choose or war. You know, we don't fancy your. human rights record. She's met the lot. She's met all of them. Jimmy Sattle. Yeah, the lot. I think most British people would prefer

a monarch that can meet any head of state, any dictator. 41% of British people are not really in favour of monarchy. Because then that's where you get Meg and Michael and Harry. We can't meet Trump. We won't. It just seems pathetic. It doesn't seem noble. It doesn't seem virtuous. To me, refusing to meet

Trump seems pretty noble. It does. But the moment you start picking and choosing, which difficult world leaders you're not going to meet, then you're making a political calculation. So you'd have Putin on this show, would you? Yes, absolutely. Oh, God, really? Well, but like, wouldn't you think, hold on a minute

he's committing human rights? No, I think, hold on a minute, I'm going to ask you some tough questions. In fact, don't you think that there's something more significant we should do than ask him a pokey question with a pen? Then you think we should... Actually, actually, right now I'm about to interview official spokesman for the Taliban. Are you saying I shouldn't be doing that?

Well, I'm not sure that, I mean, sure, if you're going to absolutely nail them. If you're going to give them a space to expound their views and their opinions? Yeah, stand back and I'll do it. Hell yet. Don't ask me twice. I will do what I always do, which is I will ask the questions I think people want to have answered. But I don't see any reason why I wouldn't interview Vladimir Putin or why I wouldn't

interview my next guest, which is the official spokesperson for the Taliban. Tony, final question, is this country ready for the Queen passing? Because it's going to be such an enormous moment. I don't you were ever going to be ready because I think she's an impossible act to follow. And I think that King Charles III,

and King William the 4th will never be and could never mean what she means to the people because she goes right back to the Second World War. She goes right back to that. I mean, you said last night on this show, you know, there's never been a time when she wasn't on the throne. I'm 10 years older than you, and there's never been a time when she...

You look about 10 years younger, by the way. That's his boxing training. We've got Lennox Lewis on there, and he'll be keen on your training regime because you never get any older. Thank you for coming on. I appreciate it. very much, Tony. Great to see you again.

You'll enjoy this next segment, Tony. It's a little moment of dog love, which I know you'll love. Talk about heart stopping. This is a moment a woman's beloved pet dog suddenly jumped or maybe fell out of a window and it was captured by a doorbell camera so we can see it. Rachel Green from Kent and the south of England was

on a doorstep talking to a tradesman when she suddenly noticed an upstairs window open and she only saw it because the sunlight's reflection against the wall caught her eye. The next thing she knew her beloved dog was hurtling towards potential deaths. See what happened?

Oh my God! Get back! God! Tony and I both ask for fans. I mean, I like Aaron Ramf's a keeper, but we could do with Aaron Rangor against Tottenham on Thursday. And from a dog that's lucky to be a lie to one that's actually saving lies, President Zelensky is awarded a mind-sniffing dog called Patriot, a medal for services to Ukraine.

The dog has helped find more than 200 devices during the war, has also become something of a national hero and a symbol of cane. Ukrainian resistance. What on Patreon. We're all very proud of you. Well, on the sensor next, I'll talk live to Taliban spokesmen, Suhail Shaheen. You don't want to miss that.

It's been nearly eight months since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan or basically handed it back by President Biden. In that time, women's rights have been dragged back to the dark ages. Afghan girls have been banned from full education. Women are unable to earn a living. Now, for the first time in decades, all women are forced to wear the Islamic face fell, the full burqa. The Taliban still insist this is a measure

to ensure dignity and safety for their sisters. Well, joining me now for the first time since he's restrictions to come into force is Taliban official spokesman, Suhail Shaheen. Mr Shaheen, thank you for joining me. Thank you. You made a promise.

You rang into the BBC on August 15th, 2021, and you said this. I want to remind you of what you said. They should not be scared, their honour, their properties, their right to education, work, as we have commitment for that. So they should not have worries.

Their work and access to education will be, I think, more in a better position than they were in the past. So that was you talking about women in Afghanistan and school girls, and you assured us that they would be in a better position than they were in the past. But in fact, they've now gone back to the position they were in when the Taliban was in charge before, which is a position of being oppressed.

Why is that? And why did you lie about improving a lot of women in Afghanistan? First of all, your judgment is based on distorted reports of media. Right now, 123,000 female... students and teachers and government universities and private universities, they are either working or receiving education. Do you know about that? You don't know. I do know. I do know. I do know.

I don't. You ask me if I know the answer. Let me respond to you. Just the moment I complete. Just the moment I complain. Okay. have raised, mentioned that in your program, about four million female students in primary schools, they are going to school right now. If you heard... All right, Mr. Zerang, let me jump in. Let me respond to you. Let me respond to you, please. Don't just keep talking, right? It is true that some primary school girls are still going to school. It's after they get to teenage years.

It's after they get to teenage years, you have stopped them going to school. You don't want girls in Afghanistan. to go through full-time education. That's not improving the welfare and lifestyle of women in Afghanistan. It's suppressing them. Why don't you let secondary school-age girls go back to school? The secondary-age school, primary school, there are four million girls are going to school. Now, the issue of secondary school's education for girls,

they are under consideration. we have never said they are banned. When you say that under consideration, what do you mean? They're not currently at school. Let them go back to school. Just say you can all go back to school. That is why we are talking to work out a mechanism. And I hope it will be soon.

With respect, there's nothing to talk about. A girl should be entitled to go to school in Afghanistan. same way a boy goes to. You yourself said in August last year that they had nothing to worry about, nothing to be scared about. So if we've got nothing to worry about, let them go back to school.

Give them the education that they were having. Give them the education that they deserve. Just do it. Stop telling them you're under consideration. What right have you got to consider their right to education? I said the girls have the right to have access to education as boys. I am saying right now, that's why the mechanism being worked out to provide a conducive environment

because it says Islamic society, there is no question about their right to go to school. Only they will work out. Again, let me jump in. Let me respond to that. The uniform. If I may respond to you. The uniform and female teachers. If there is no problem about their right to an education, let them go back to school.

Let me turn, if I may, to the issue of the now compulsory instruction for all women in Afghanistan to wear a full burqa if they go outside. In fact, there's an encouragement they don't leave their home, but if they do leave their home, they can only show their eyes. And if they get caught showing any more than their eyes, then the male guardians who've been appointed to basically enforce this face going to prison. This is unbelievably oppressive way to treat women in Afghanistan. after two decades of experiencing a much freer society.

Why are you doing this? When again, by your own words, you promised they had nothing to worry about. The Afghan women for centuries, they have been observing hijab. And they are wearing hijab voluntarily. So there is no addition to burden on them. And there is the statement, doesn't say burqa is imposed or the only type of hijab. It says there are a different type of hijab which are acceptable.

Okay. Well, hang on, if what you're saying is true. So just to be clear, just to be clear, every woman in Afghanistan right now can go out and does not have to wear the full burqa and she will get no bad treatment from Taliban. Is that correct? They're all free not to wear the burqa. Is that your official position? Yes. Just, yeah, yeah, if they observe hijab,

it may be a wheel, it may be a piece of clothes, it may be a burqa, but the burqa is not the only type of hijab. It is clearly said. Any type of a piece of cloth, she cowered herself, her body. That is a hijab. So it is not the burqa. As you said, it is not a great decree that came down from the vice and virtue ministry was that they were not allowed to reveal more than their eyes.

So whichever way you try and spin this, that is a draconian measure which is designed to suppress women more than they've been used to in the last two decades. You're taking them back to what life was like under Taliban before. And I'm simply putting it to you that when you took over the country again last August, you made a lot of pronouncements, the Taliban, that you were going to be a different kind of Taliban, a more inclusive Taliban, and that women had nothing, again, back to your words,

nothing to be scared about. Their honour, their properties, their right to education, work, and so on. The kids after 12, 13, can't go to school. All women have to wear a covering apart from their eyes. You know, they're not getting most jobs now, apart from women's specific jobs which can't be filled by men. they have men now relatives and employers who are exercising a control over them

which can be punishable if it's broken by imprisonment. This is incredibly draconian. I can't think of anywhere else in the world that is doing this to women. And I just ask you again, what part of any of this shows that you have changed the Taliban, that you're more inclusive?

Because I'm not seeing any evidence that you're doing anything other than taking women right back to where they were 25 years ago. What you are saying have gotten from the media reports which are not correct. Their property are safe, secure. There's no problem with that. About the wheel, it is not only in Afghanistan all over the Islamic world.

You may have it in the UK, the Muslim women wearing also in the UK, about only opening the eyes. Many are using the mask. There is no problem. It is the same as a mosque. You know? One of the problems... If I may say so, you're talking...

The mask is not draconian, but the wheel is doctrinian. Look, the Taliban will be judged by their actions and the reports from reporters in Afghanistan. are completely contrary to the picture that you're trying to paint. They are talking about women who are now protesting in the streets because they're being ordered to completely cover themselves apart from their eyes. They're being told that male relatives and employers are now enforcing this on behalf of the Taliban.

So either they're all making it up and they've all gone mad or the Taliban through people like yourself as a spokesman are saying one thing in public and a very different thing is happening on the streets. I want to talk to you also about the economy in Afghanistan. which is a complete disaster. You now have millions and millions of people living in abject poverty.

In what way is the Taliban trying to improve the lives of its people? Because it seems from where I'm looking that ever since the United States evacuated Afghanistan, things have got immeasurably worse for the people. Why is that? Why, given a second chance at running the country,

have you so far proven to be such abject failures? First of all, I would like to say 99% of the Afghan women, they are observing hijab voluntarily. So they consider it a dignity, a safeguard for their modesty. Secondly, the poverty situation, the lack of job opportunity is because of the sanctions imposed by international community, following our taking the capital of Kabul. So they are punishing the people of Afghanistan,

not the government, by imposing the sanction. You can ask them why they have done this, why they are doing this to the people of Afghanistan. So your position is that the Taliban has no responsibility for the economic collapse of the country, and it's all everybody else is for. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We have responsibility.

What we have from our internal revenue, we are doing that in this. We are spending that in the service of our people. We are starting development projects. We are paying the salaries of the government employees who are about 500,000 from the previous government. They are still working in the government. We are doing that. But we do not have financially so strong to store all the development projects. Some of the projects which were funded by some countries, they have been convicted in 1990 persons.

All right, Mr. Jane. Mr. Jane, Mr. Jane, the truth is Afghanistan is in a terrible state right now. Millions of people are living in horrific poverty. women are feeling increasingly oppressed by the Taliban regime. And my message to you simply... My message to you simply is if we take you at face value, then we should expect that tomorrow, secondary-age kids can go back to school and get a proper education. And if, as you say, there is no order for women to wear the full covering,

and they can go out without covering everything apart from their eyes, let's see that happen, and let's make sure that women that do express... that right and that freedom, do not then get punished. We're going to leave it there, Mr. Shaheen. Thank you very much indeed for joining me. Yes, I'm saying right now that the women in boys, they have right to have access to education. That's only by observing hijab.

Yeah, you don't have any right to education if there's no school you can go to. Our government has not said that denied their right to education. I understand. We've talked about this. Just for the record, you have two daughters. Do they go to school? Of course, yes.

Yeah, of course. And it will. Of course they do, because you're in Doha and they can go to school, right? Yeah, they are observing hijab. They are observing hijab. And so that means we have not denied. So they behave. So if your daughters do exactly what you tell them, they're allowed to get.

Okay, so your daughters get an education. Because you're, wait a minute. Your daughters, your daughters get an education. because they do what you tell them. All right, I'm glad we clarified that. Sahil Shahin, thank you very much indeed for joining me. Well, joining me now is Fowicea Kufi. She was one of the first female politicians in Afghanistan

until she fed the country last year when the Taliban took over. You were shaking your head in derision, a lot of the stuff that he was saying there. Clearly, a lot of that is propaganda. We know from the reporting on the ground what is going on in relation to education of young girls, in relation to women and what they have to wear. What is your response to that interview? Well, peers, I only hope that there was a debate that he could listen to. And my message to him would have been, Mr. Shaheen, you and I negotiated for the past three years.

We started from Moscow in February 2019. I remember, as the first woman to negotiate with you, it was extremely risky because I lost a lot of support in my constituents by talking to you. But we did it for the sake of the country because we wanted to. come to a peace deal. Remember there, one of your negotiators... Just to let you know, look, I know what you're doing here, but he's gone. Right. I just want to... So he can't hear you. So my point really is how much of what he's saying is just propaganda and nonsense from what you understand on the ground? I want to remind them, because I'm sure they will listen to this,

that in that meeting, one of their negotiators said that from their perspective, Women could go to school, could go to university, could work in business and politics, could become minister, minister, minister of foreign affairs, up to prime minister. And none of that's happening? I'm quoting, up to prime minister. It was a room full of men. Everybody looked at me and said, well, Ms. Cofy, this is a big news. But in reality, when they took over power on the 15th of August, the first thing they did that,

in contradiction with Islamic principles and what's happening in the rest of Muslim world, they stop girls from going to school. Only girls up to grade 12 go to school. This is not happening anywhere in the world. Anywhere. They stop women from going to work. And you know what? These women actually were the breadwinners of their family.

They lost their husbands in the war. And they were the supporters of their family. They were feeding their children with the money that they were receiving through their salary. They cannot do it anymore because they don't have a job to do it. Now, the last thing they did, while the country is at the age of starvation, economic crisis, and people expect them as people now in power to deliver.

The last thing they did was another decree asking women of Afghanistan to wear their favorite hijab, which is Burka. Now, let's remember that women of Afghanistan have always remained Muslim, and their hijab, the same way that I do, is acceptable in Afghanistan by Maine, is respected, and this is part of our identity. We don't need Taliban to come and tell us that unless you don't wear VIL, which is Burka, and it's even not Islamic. It's traditional.

Your male member of the family will be punished. So can you imagine in a country which already the rule of law does not exist, the men are influencing and committing violence at home? That's the great irony is that the men are now being told to enforce these rules by the Taliban, and that in itself is just utter misogyny. Great to talk to you. Thank you very much for coming in and just putting a woman's perspective from Afghanistan there. I think we all know what is happening on the ground,

and it's completely reprehensible. The Taliban are taking these women back to a terrible time in Afghanistan's life, and they've got to stop it, and the world needs to be shining a light on this. Thank you very much for coming in. On since the next, the former heavyweight champion of the world, Lennox Lewis, would be here live. He's fed up with the world going all soft, and he's here to tell me how we should all toughen up. Look at him, Mr. Macho. I'll ask him how he felt being knocked out by me, a celebrity apprentice.

That will take the smile of his face. The boxing legend, Lennox Lewis won Olympic goal before a masterclass. and professional ranks and became Britain's only undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. One of the best to ever don a pair of gloves, but he's not undefeated in the boardroom. Lenis couldn't win without me as often as he does, anyone near as much. He knows that. I think he'd agree with that. I could probably win with that, Lennox. Yes, I do.

I wouldn't have answered it that way, Lennox. I would have said, absolutely, who the hell do you think you are? I'd never admit that. He's a good asset to the team. I'm the main asset. Lennox, you're fantastic, but you're fired. A terrible moment watching the World Heavyweight Champion getting knocked out by me.

Lennox, great to see you, mate. Do the bruises still... Great to see you. You still feel those bruises of the big old Morgan C.O.? No, I think I don't know what happened. I think he paid him some money. Can you believe he went on to be president of the United States and is now like the most famous divisive guy

on the planet? Yeah, it's incredible. In fact, just before we came on air tonight, Lennox, who's just bought Twitter, said this. It was not correct to ban Donald Trump. I think that was a mistake. Provenants just fundamentally undermine trust in Twitter as

a town square where everyone can voice their opinion. So that was a breaking news, Lennox, that Elon Musk, who's now got Twitter, of course, he's bought it. He wants Trump back on Twitter. Do you think that's a good thing? Well, you know, I think he thinks it's a good thing, so, you know, he's a pretty smart man. Let's turn to why I wanted you on the show, Lennox.

I've had a sneaking feeling that society's gone all week in the last couple of decades, that this kind of new mentality of celebrating victimhood, people quitting left, right and center of being called heroes in the sporting arena, in real life. None of it feels right to me. Do you get that sense as well? And what do you think about it? You know, there's definitely a turn, a switch,

a difference of opinion, and, you know, people want to do it different ways, and, you know, they're getting an opportunity to eat too. But do you think society, should toughen up? Do you think that we need to go back to perhaps what it was like when you were young? When you weren't allowed to be self-pity

you had to crack on. Yeah, I believe that, you know, right now people even when it comes to fighting, look at when it comes to fighting, people run for weapons, they should fist fight, like do it like the old times. And then as far as the

boxing training nowadays, a lot of people stay at home, go to camp, you know, isolate yourself, focus, dedicate. What do you make of Tyson Fury? I would love to have seen you guys fight both at your peak. Who would you think would have won?

Oh, I refuse to answer easy questions. Well, mate, you are talking to the only bloke who's knocked you out, apart from two other guys that you went and beat. So I'm undefeated against you. Seriously, would you think you'd have beaten Tyson? Tyson Fure? Listen, Tyson

Fure is a great champion. He moves well. He's elusive. And he punches hard. Got a great jab, great uppercut now. And all he has to do is clean up the division like I did and then beat the next generation. I think you're slightly ducking

the question, though. Come on. If it was you two in the ring, who's going to win? At your best, at your peak. You can't put two cron fighters against each other. That's naughty. I also wanted to ask you, Because you knocked out the other Tyson, Mike Tyson,

and he just today got announced will not face any charges after giving a passenger on a plane a slap for annoying him. What did you make of that? Do you get that kind of hassle? No, you know, I think he dealt with it wrong. Obviously, when you poke the beer, you know, he's going to react.

I would have just turned around and slapped him and said, well, that's what he did, wasn't it? That's exactly what he did. You told me, when we did The Apprentice together, you told me that at the peak of your world heavyweight champion powers, you go into nightclubs and the biggest guy would come up to you and try it on. And I said to you, well, what would happen? And you went, dude, what do you think happened? I was the World Heavyweight Champion of the world. Yeah, plus, you know, mentally, mentally, I play the whole thing in my head with, of course, me winning.

Of course, of course. One thing I would say, we play 40 games of chess during the apprentice filming. and you beat me 39 times out of 40. I still remember the one I won, but you were very good at chess. Yeah, people won't believe that you actually counted every time we played. I did.

I did. And I don't forget the fact that every time you were about to checkmate me, you stood up and walked around the board rubbing your hands in glee. You were a very annoying person to play chess with. Thank you.

That's a compliment. It's always great to catch up with you, mate. Thanks to coming on the show. Thank you. censored. I love you the way you are, and I'm sorry again for knocking you out, but sometimes you just meet a superior guy in life. It's just the way it is. Okay. Good to

talk to you. Don't worry. I'll get you next time. All the best, champ. Well, it's the most tiresome and tedious game on the internet, and just when you thought it couldn't get any more annoying, Wordle has gone woke. Yes, it's boring, banal, and boastful, and now it's also censored. The Wordle has gone nuts. New York Times has admitted

it altered its Wordle solution for being too politically charged. They removed the fetus to avoid triggering anybody over the Roe versus Wade abortion debate. I've got my own wordle for that. Crazy. Yeah, I think it's crazy to think that a daft puzzle game on the internet, published by a newspaper, is triggering. And this policing of language and words is becoming increasingly absurd.

It turns out the New York Times has also removed words like slave and wench and lynch. But why would you remove them? Their words that actually exist. Yes, they have meaning, but they weren't being used in any celebratory sense, just as words. The New York Times explained it's taken some of these words out because they're insensitive or obscure, and that wordles should be distinct from the news agenda. Really? I don't think it's obscure about any of those words.

And nor should they be insensitive to people. Where do you take it? Do you ban words from Scrabble as well? If you start taking any word in normal common usage, that's potentially offensive to somebody somewhere, you'll end up with no language at all. And that way madness lies. That's it for tonight.

Wherever you are, keep it uncensored. Good night.