QASED Non-government Research Organization
By: Abdulbari Kabiri
Since Afghanistan has been a battleground for more than four decades, the country’s political rulers at every stage as well as the military and political opponents of the time have made unforgivable mistakes. Both sides have always waged wars with foreign weapons and even foreign plans at the cost of their own blood. Although foreign forces have twice invaded Afghanistan in the past few decades, the gunmen and foot soldiers were Afghan groups in alliance with the foreign forces. As an example, after the 1978 coup of the Khalq and Parcham factions, their leaders, on behalf of Afghanistan, requested weapons and troops from Moscow, and under the pretext of that request, Warsaw Pact forces entered Afghanistan, as a result of which the then government officials were eliminated and another group of Afghans who came with Soviet Union forces was recruited to govern the country. Similarly, the 2001 US-led NATO invasion was also welcomed by the then-exiled government and Northern Alliance leaders, who launched a foreign-backed war against the Taliban regime. In this game, all parties and ideological movements of Afghanistan are guilty as they have not saved the people of Afghanistan from suffering and misery.[1] The following review of recent developments is based on learning from historical events and we believe that the country’s political actors should consider these points.
On August 15, 2021, the ARG Palace of Afghanistan was captured by the Taliban Islamic Movement, and a few days later, they declared a caretaker government under the name of Islamic Emirate for the second time and thus the whole country came under the control of a new regime. Although peace talks between the Taliban Islamic Movement and the leadership of the former Islamic Republic had not been successful, the Taliban respected the already announced general amnesty and refrained from taking revenge on their opponents, and with that Afghanistan’s more than 40-year long war was over so far.
Now, almost nine months after the re-emergence of the Islamic Emirate, this article gives a brief overview of some of the positive and negative changes that have taken place during this period and looks at the threats that the country is currently facing. At the end of the discussion, some opportunities are mentioned which the people of Afghanistan and particularly the officials of the Islamic Emirate can take advantage of to take steps for enduring peace, development and prosperity; followed by some recommendations. Assessments and analyses show that historical events are repeating themselves and if the Afghan leadership does not take advantage of the opportunities available, it is very likely that Afghanistan will once again face unprecedented threats.
First: Positive Changes with the Following Key Points:
The Taliban’s victory marked the end of a war that had been waged by foreign forces, the former government, the Taliban and a number of other factions, by which the heavy casualties of the Afghan people was also stopped at least for now.
After more than 40 years, the whole of Afghanistan has once again come under the full control of the central government. Islands of power disappeared and the influence of neighboring countries has also waned in many border provinces. The Islamic Emirate, for instance, recently announced a ban on the Iranian currency for trade in Nimroz province, something that the former Islamic Republic has been desiring for the past few years. Similar measures have been taken in the border provinces of Nangarhar and Kunar to prevent the use of Pakistani currency in trade.
The Islamic Emirate has taken successful steps to reduce crime, with which villages and towns have largely become safe. The caretaker government also reclaimed most of the weapons, which were controlled by political parties and mafia groups, posing threats to the central government. Banning drug use, cultivation and trade, and so on are other important steps of the current interim government. The Islamic Emirate strives to reassure the world in terms of security that the causes of the threat from Afghan soil would be eliminated. They insist on living in peace and tranquility with the international community and refrain from supporting of other countries’ citizens in their armed conflicts. Although there are some other positive developments, but the scope of this article is narrow to mention all of them.
Second: Negative Changes with the Following Key Points:
Peace talks between the Taliban and the previous government have failed. The Taliban government came to power by force, consisting of members of one party and representing one ideological group. There is no representation of women, religious minorities and different strata of the society in this party. Senior government positions are given on the basis of party background and participation in the last war in favor of the Taliban, and thus expertise and competency are not taken into account.[2] There is a perception among the Taliban that Afghanistan has been recaptured from foreign forces, and therefore, no one but them should be involved in government formation and the country’s politics.[3]
The Taliban’s relations with other countries and international organisations are strained and distrustful. The world views the Taliban as an extremist group, even some of its leaders are on the international blacklist, and therefore are not recognized as legitimate representatives of Afghanistan. Economic sanctions have been imposed on the country, central bank assets have been frozen, the banking system is semi-paralysed and foreign trade has suffered greatly.
The flow of migrants from Afghanistan has intensified once again. Many former regime officials, allies of foreign forces, employees of foreign organisations and some other Afghans fled the country. Although the caretaker government respects the announced general amnesty, but public distrust of the government is high, and there is even evidence that some civilians have been targeted, tortured and killed by Taliban-linked militants.
Understanding of the Taliban members about Islamic principles is a unique and in some cases a misconception that contradicts the accepted Islamic views in other countries of the Islamic world. The leadership of the Islamic Emirate has issued a series of decrees that are considered the state’s interference in individual affairs. The discriminatory treatment of women[4], such as limitations on their work and education and the recent forced face-covering, is considered unprecedented restrictions on them; and according to many Islamic scholars, such acts under the name of Islamic principles and Afghan culture are considered an insult to the sacred religion of Islam and also to Afghan culture. That is something that the majority of Afghans and the world oppose because such actions provide the reasons for the backwardness of society and cause hatred and resentment in society. Although there are other negative changes, the scope of this article is too narrow to mention them.
Third: Some Grave Threats to Afghanistan:
The biggest threat to the country is the deep internal division alongside the distrust among the international community that Afghanistan is currently facing. Both of the mentioned elements could lead to catastrophes in the future, as they together form the basis for beginning of another war. The root cause of the internal differences is the one-party, one-ideology based government that has seized power by force. The caretaker government, which has been in power for almost nine months, has not yet provided any specific model for the future political structure of the country and has not provided any mechanism for people’s participation. Many experts of Afghanistan’s affairs believe that the Taliban Islamic Movement wants the kind of Islamic Emirate that was formed in 1996, where people were barred from political participation, there were restrictions on women and Afghanistan was isolated in the international arena and eventually, the US-led coalition invaded Afghanistan, causing serious financial and human losses to Afghan people, and the Islamic Emirate of the time was collapsed.
Besides that, in the absence of a modern national army, the country’s land and air space are not secured. On April 16, 2022, Pakistan launched airstrikes in Khost and Kunar provinces, causing heavy civilian casualties.[5] Prior to the incident, locals had reported drone sightseeing, but unfortunately the caretaker government of the Taliban not only failed to prevent such incidents, but was even unable to obtain accurate information about these drones. These incidents show that Afghanistan has no defense mechanism to prevent the use of modern weapons against its territories and there is fear of similar attacks in the future. Last month’s deadly bombings in mosques and public areas also raised concerns that the war in Afghanistan is not over. In our view, unless the country’s internal divisions are solved and external trust is restored, the possibility of any internal or external attack on Afghanistan is very high.
Furthermore, poverty and unemployment are threatening most of Afghan people.[6] Unfortunately, the ineffective public sector cannot provide enough jobs for the citizens; and due to the country’s volatile situation and heightened political risk, the private sector is also weakened and thus employment opportunities are very low. If these problems are not addressed soon, they will pose major threats to Afghanistan’s future.
Fourth: Available Opportunities:
The war in the country is over and the whole country is under full control of the central government, which provides the ground for growth and economic development. Although there are internal disagreements, there is no apparent armed confrontation against the Islamic Emirate and at such times the chance of reconciliation with opponents of the government is very high, and therefore, an agreement on government mechanism can be achieved easily. The majority of Afghans demand a fair mechanism for the future of the government and political system to put an end to the use of force as means for taking and retention of power – for instance election is an accepted principle in many countries which has also Islamic background and can be used for representation of people, formation of government and for overseeing government performance.
The fact that the Doha Agreement is still in place and that the international community has continued its humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan to a large extent, shows that the international community is waiting for the Islamic Emirate to show its commitments in practice. Therefore, it is the right time to seize this opportunity to transform Afghanistan and to change the current situation from a state of distrust and hatred to friendship and cooperation both in national level and with international community. More Afghans other than the members of the Taliban Islamic Movement should be engaged in national affairs and with that the foundations of a prosperous and developed country should be strengthened.
Recommendations:
- The first and foremost point is that the rulers should consider taking power not as a goal, but as a tool for the prosperity of Afghanistan. Also, Afghanistan’s political-military parties, civil society and other activists should move towards intra-Afghan dialogue instead of supporting another war in order to end the Afghan crisis once and for all. The contemporary history of Afghanistan has shown that in every phase of the conflict over the past five decades, the political authorities have insisted on staying in power without a wider political participation, which has always paved the way for armed resistance inside and outside the country. The Islamic Emirate must learn from this.
- The second point is that an inclusive government must be formed, meaning that including women, different ethnic, religions and social groups should be involved and participate in the decision making of the state agencies, and that fair distribution of resources to all citizens should be guaranteed. The nature of government, timelines for formation of the government and the right of the people to participate in the political process, are important factors to determine the future of Afghanistan and to turn the dynamics of rivalry from war into a political struggle that will result in stability and prosperity. Unfortunately, in the modern history of Afghanistan, party-centric governments have been the main cause of conflict, as political power has been used for personal and partisan privileges; the reason due to which many individuals and parties are fighting at all costs to gain political power and stay in power.[7]
- The third point is that the government must regulate matters related to public interests, represent the will of the people and respect the rights of individuals. The state administration must act in accordance with the principles of modern administrative and governance norms and focus on security, economic growth and public prosperity. Government officials must act within a legal and defined framework and not impose disputed personal views on others under the name of religion.[8] People have the right to choose their dressing and appearance, and they should not be forced to perform their personal religious obligations, because Afghanistan is the home of all Afghans and everyone who lives there legally and they should be able to live in peace and without fear or hatred.[9] People’s personal religious affairs depend only on their intentions and religious beliefs, and that is why everyone does these things with their own faith and belief.
Finally, there is no doubt that most of the political parties operated in recent history of Afghanistan had noble and valued goals, however when they seized power, they monopolized it, handing over most of public duties to their members, often inexperienced. Also in each phase of the recent history, those who reached power, they preferred to use force against their opponents instead of political partnership and reconciliation, which has resulted in the country being plunged back into a new crisis each time. Unfortunately, this is something that can be clearly seen currently in Afghanistan.
The end
[1] Although there is no evidence that Afghan political parties and ideological movements have destructive goals for Afghanistan, the fact is that results of what they have done were harmful to the people and to the country overall. Fighters from the factions and military parties have committed war crimes during their war and have caused suffering to the Afghan people. Unfortunately, no impartial tribunal or court has been set up to investigate war crime allegations in the country.
[2] According to many experts, the main reasons of war in Afghanistan and most of the Third World countries is a struggle for privileges alongside other factors – at lease the main factor of internal elements. Afghanistan, as any other third world country has limited resources and it is difficult for residents to secure a prosperous life for themselves through normal activities, but this can be easily guaranteed through political struggle. In addition, domination of the public sector provides a breeding ground for abuse of power by parties and ruling class within parties. Like the majority of Third World countries, the ruling class of Afghanistan has always enjoyed exceptional privileges by living a very luxurious life and even after being ousted from power, they still have a lot of property and wealth.
[3] Taliban officials say that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan gained power as a result of a legal battle and could run the government as a political party. Although the principle of one party may be somewhat practical in modern governance, there is a misconception in the case of Afghanistan as the rule of one party in the modern world never means the monopoly of power, even in the communist parties, although governments are monopolized by one party, but still adhere to their own electoral mechanisms. In short, on the basis of modern governance, firstly, the government is formed on the basis of an accepted mechanism in which all citizens and politicians are consulted and where the authorities, term and scope of work of the government are clear. Secondly: After a party comes to power, all the staff and policy makers except a limited number of government officials remain in place; Thirdly: There are no special privileges for the members of a political party in the country and they enjoy the same privileges as the general public. While the government and all institutions in Afghanistan are now under the full control of the Taliban members. Government positions and the use of public property are given to their members as privileges. This is a problem that has been experienced in Afghanistan by other left-wing parties, Islamic and jihadi parties, and former Islamic Emirate officials, and is a failed experience that has resulted in start of another struggle and another war.
[4] There are evidences that many Taliban leaders insist on the complete separation of men and women and consider it a religious duty. In fact, this concept does not represent Islamic ideology, but contradicts religious principles and international law. This perception negatively affects the presence of women in society and hinders their work and performance at the national level. Considering the Islamic guidelines, the Hajj should be considered as an example, where men and women can participate together, and women’s faces and men’s heads should be uncovered. The Taliban leadership’s latest edict on the hijab is considered by many Islamic scholars to be a violation of Islamic fundamental freedoms, and their supposed principle of punishing the relatives of disobedient women is a clear violation of Islamic law as one cannot be punished for offences committed by others.
[5] See online: www.Aljazeera.com/news.
[6] Although international aid continues to reduce hunger, high unemployment and the country’s economic downturn are serious challenges for the general population. Migration from Afghanistan is accelerating and people are leaving the country to work and live in other countries. These are all vital issues for the current situation in Afghanistan that need to be addressed.
[7] Unfortunately, over the past five decades, party executives and leaders in Afghanistan have abused the political-military struggle for their personal gains. They have built their comfortable and luxurious life by using the public resources belong in one way or another to the people of Afghanistan. Many political leaders use these parties as a source of revenue and in most cases acquired funds from foreign countries for ulterior motives, including some charitable purposes, the process which has seriously challenged the unity and integrity of the country.
[8] The recent Taliban leadership decree on women’s hijab is an example this. The decree specifically recommended covering the entire body, including the face of women. In this decree, the punishment of a woman who violates the rule and punishment of their male relatives for repeated violations is clearly against the principles of Sharia law, because one human being cannot be punished for the crime of others. Such legislation also leads to domestic violence in families and adversely affects the lives and activities of women in community. Such decrees indicate that the Taliban leadership is biased in enforcing the law and see it through their own narrow interpretation.
[9] According to Islamic law, Haqooq-e-Allah and Haqooq-e-Ibad are two different parts of Islamic individual obligations; and the government intervention in the field of Haqooq-e-Allah is very limited. Worship is the individual responsibility of the people and only individuals should ask God for its reward. For example, prayers, fasting and performing Hajj pilgrimage are individual responsibilities of people and not the duty of the government to force people to implement it. From the historical point of view, in no period of the Islamic Khilafah has anyone been compelled in these matters and if at any particular stage the lives of individuals have been interfered in these matters, it is only in case of renunciation.
