What is the Case of Jamil Qadery Mean?

Jamil Qadery raises important questions about the role of social media in promoting extremism, the challenges governments face in dealing with refugees with extremist ties, and the implications for human rights and democracy. Balancing the need to protect citizens from terrorism while upholding human right is a complex task. Jamil Qadery is an Afghan refugee who arrived in Belgium in 2010. As of 2021, he has over 69,000 subscribers on YouTube where he describes himself as the journalist of the show, “Voice of the Unheard Afghan Nation.”

Ms. Farzana Naqshbandi, herself an Afghan refugee living in Germany, created a petition on change.org requesting that Belgium deport Mr. Qadery. She writes in the petition, “Taliban is a terrorist group in Afghanistan who are killing Afghan people left and right, taliban are killing and torturing former security forces, Taliban have banned women from all their rights such as freedom to study in school, freedom to study in universities, freedom to work, freedom to sport, freedom to go to Resturant. but terrorist supporters like Jamil Qadery openly support this terrorist group using Belgium soil…. also he is praising suicide bombers, he is praising most wanted terrorist like Sirajudin Haqqani and others.  he is brainwashing youth and turning them into extremists in Europe, such a action can trigger big security threats to Europe.”

Qadery defends his YouTube reports as objective delivery of facts and news, not a promotion of one faction or another. He contends that his intention is to provide information, not to persuade.  Is this a case of dangerous extremism or of a journalist who is being targeted by those with specific political views? Human rights organizations including Journalists Without Borders have so far kept silent on the case of Mr. Qadery.  Kauser News reached out to Farzana Naqshbandi for comment but she refused. Kauser News has found that the social media accounts of more than 250,000 Afghan refugees and citizens have been reported or restricted. Some of this is the result of false reports made against their posts by those who disagree with their viewpoints though the reported posts do not violate the platforms’ standards or any laws. This is simply a tactic used to silence their free speech. Responses from intelligence sources in European countries confirm that they are not clear whether Mr. Qaderi is a Taliban or Taliban sleeper in Belgium but they are sure that due to Afghan cultural problems and racism, some Afghan refugees in Europe and the USA have been threatening others who are exercising their right to free speech. One source told Kauser News that the United States of Khorasan, a self-proclaimed and universally unrecognized country that only exists only as a social media concept that rallies around anti-Pashtun and anti-Taliban sentiments and the National Resistance Front have a list of 35 Afghan citizens who are immigrants in European countries that they are targeting because these 35 individuals are area sharing opinions that do not support their positions. This case is likely to set a precedent for future cases involving refugees in Belgium and other European countries. A Kauser News intelligence resource said, “The case also underscores the challenges governments face in addressing the rise of extremism in the digital age. Social media platforms provide a powerful tool for spreading extremist messages and recruiting individuals. Collaborative efforts between governments and social media companies are necessary to develop effective strategies and tools to counter extremism online, the case of Jamil Qadery highlights the importance of protecting citizens from terrorism, it also emphasizes the significance of upholding human rights and freedom of expression. The Belgian government must find a way to strike a balance between these competing interests.”