Or because at that time they only knew white people so they assumed he looks like a person.

It doesn’t even have to be some subconscious ethnocentrism. It could just be someone painting what they know people to look like.

It usually involves trying to start some shit with Russia.

Exactly. And you aren’t a terrorist after you win your country back. That’s like the British partnering with America to fight terrorism being ironic because of George Washington. Different era is different era. Whether people like it or not the Taliban run an actual government.