Members of the Taliban are "worried about Andrew Tate" and are "asking us if he's free yet," according to Sameera Khan, a former Miss New Jersey turned "anti-woke" journalist.
Khan said she took part in a "Twitter space with the Afghan Taliban" to "discuss the detainment of Andrew Tate", an American-British influencer who was arrested in Romania on December 29, along with his brother and two Romanian nationals, and charged with human trafficking.
Romanian prosecutors allege the Tate brothers coerced six women into producing pornography, with the alleged victims facing "acts of physical violence and mental coercion." One of those arrested was also charged with rape, though their identify has not been disclosed.
On Saturday, Khan tweeted: "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."
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 (@SameeraKhan) December 31, 2022
In a separate tweet, she added "#FREETOPG," calling for Tate to be released, with 'TopG' being a nickname used for the influencer by some of his supporters.
British journalist Otto English tweeted a screenshot from the Twitter space, showing some of the attendees, adding: "This actually happened."
The Twitter space was called "heart emoji Andrew Tate heart emoji, followed by "w/ Taliban."
In August 2021 the Taliban captured Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, after U.S. troops were withdrawn after a nearly two-decade long insurgency.
Tate said he converted to Islam in November 2021, discussing his decision on the One Islam Productions YouTube channel, in a video that has been viewed 1.5 million times.
Those taking part in the Twitter space with Khan included a number of users who claim to support the Taliban, some of whom had the group's flag in their profile picture.
One of those taking part was Shahab Lewal, who claims to be a "Member of the Cultural Commission" of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, based out of Kabul.
Newsweek has not been able to verify the exact relationship between self-described Taliban supporters taking part in the Twitter space, and the wider group. The Taliban and Sameera Khan have been contacted for comment.
The group now controls Afghanistan and claims to be the country's legitimate government, calling itself the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, though this hasn't been recognized by any countries.
American and allied forces invaded Afghanistan in 2001 following the 9/11 attacks, accusing the Taliban of giving sanctuary to al-Qaeda leaders who directed the attack.
Tate, a former professional kickboxer, has been criticized for a number of controversial comments about women, including his 2017 claim that they must
"must bear some responsibility" if they get raped, during the #MeToo scandal.
According to The Guardian newspaper, in one video Tate discusses how he would react to a woman accusing him of cheating, saying: "Bang out the machete, boom in her face and grip her by the neck. Shut up b****."
Tate, who has repeatedly denied any involvement in people trafficking, has been contacted for comment.
NoldorGD on January 3rd, 2023 at 10:07 UTC »
Of course taliban would be worried about Tate 💀
A-Delonix-Regia on January 3rd, 2023 at 04:39 UTC »
r/nottheonion
TroutComplex on January 3rd, 2023 at 03:34 UTC »
Serious troll move.