Afghanistan & Taliban: Deceits & Responsibilities
By: Saifullah Mustanir*

History has proven that any arrogant occupation has faced a humiliating defeat in Afghanistan. Only in the past 42 years, two world powers (USSR, US and its NATO allies) have been forced to taste the bitter flavor of defeat in this land.

Similarly, 20 years ago the US completely ignored the realities of Afghanistan such as its history, difficult terrain, tribal and simple lifestyle as well as their struggle (Jihad) and their sacrifices; and most importantly, the US ignored the Islamic belief that the people of this land hold dearly in their heart. Despite knowing all, the US arrogantly attacked and occupied Afghanistan.

The US utilized all sorts of its deceits and fooled half of the world under the false claim of ‘war on terror’, which in reality was a war against Islam and Muslims, to mobilize them under the empty slogans of democracy, freedom, nation-building, state-building, reconstruction, human rights, rights of women and minorities. Under these pretexts, they have imposed a puppet minority from among the so-called political and military leaders on the people of this land by establishing a chaffy government which, without the support of the occupied forces, could not survive for one day among the Muslim people of Afghanistan.

The US has spent more than one trillion dollars in this land, lost around 2500 soldiers with more than 20,000 wounded and tens of thousands of them have left this land with deep psychological traumas – many of whom have taken their own lives and the rest are suffering a life of guilt, trauma and scarred conscious lives because of the crimes, cruelty and terror they committed against the innocent and defenseless Afghan Muslims.

When the US realized its humiliating military defeat in Afghanistan, it immediately forgot its false promises made to the US taxpayers, people of Afghanistan and its puppets by announcing an unconditional withdrawal from the country.

Besides, the US led the game in such a way to pursue its goals, by means of peace talks and agreement with the Taliban, which it was unable to achieve through 20 years of war. However, their deceits failed again as the Taliban, which the Americans used to label as ‘terrorist group’ because of their noncompliance of democratic and human values, were given international legitimacy. They traveled to different countries and made ties with them. They expanded their influence and territories inside the country and emerged as one the main sides of the Afghanistan cause with whom the Americans finally signed the Doha Agreement to merely save their faces.

The Americans didn’t suffice but continued with their deceitful game as they officially and simultaneously recognized both the Taliban and the Kabul Government. They assumed that their puppet government would be able to resist and fight against the Taliban and change the tide of war in the battlefield – but this turned out to be another miscalculation. The Americans had not realized that their chaffy and corrupt puppet government had no roots among the Muslim people of Afghanistan from day one; that’s why, it couldn’t survive for more than a few weeks and shamefully lost almost all of its districts and provincial capitals in a short period of time. Although, because of his personal interests and the interests of few individuals, Ashraf Ghani was trying to resist but his resistance was diminished in the last minute by disgracefully fleeing the country, leaving his followers in the hot water. Now the West has sent additional 5000 American and another 600 British troops to actually prevent the fall of Kabul under the false pretext of safe evacuation of their embassy staff, their slaves, spies and mercenaries, but they were unable to make it.

Meanwhile, the West carries scattered positions regarding Afghanistan. The US, Britain and Europe have three different views on Afghanistan as they cannot reach a consensus among themselves.

[تَحْسَبُهُمْ جَميعاً وَقُلُوبُهُمْ شَتَّى]

“You may reckon them to be united, but their hearts are shuttered”. The regional countries are also concerned about the situation in Afghanistan and are trying to see one of the sides gain control of the affairs in the country; especially Russians who are concerned about insecurity reaching their backyard in Central Asia, while China is concerned about its economic projects in Pakistan and Central Asia.

Furthermore, the US, Western countries, and UN are pressuring Taliban to prevent them from returning to establishing the ‘Islamic Emirate’ and implementing the Islamic Sharia by threatening them that they would isolate the Taliban and cut their economic support if they attempt to take control of the country by force. But the Taliban must realize that many dangerous traps are laid in front of them onward. The trap of Nation State, noncompliance to Sharia, recognition of international conventions, women rights and etc. are the values that must be decisively and frankly rejected. The Taliban should learn from the experience of other Islamic movements and distance themselves from participating in non-Islamic and manmade systems – they shouldn’t accept anything but the truth. This is because compromise in implementing Islam will result in losing their legitimacy and credibility among the people, and without the support of the Muslims no Islamic movement can survive anymore. Islam cannot be confined and limited to a small geography and/or one nation where they will not be able to unite the Muslims as one Ummah, unite them in peace and war, in glory and in demise. The Taliban must realize that the US, the West and the UN are there to push them to accept an interim solution which lies in between Islam and Kufr, but what lies in between the truth and false is only falsehood. As such, the Taliban should establish the system of Islam within the framework of Islam which is the Caliphate (Khilafah). They should implement a Constitution which is based on the Sharia whose foreign policy should be based on the call for Islam and Jihad; and by doing so they will be given Nussrah by Allah swt, the Muslims of the region and the Islamic world. Only then, they will be able to establish a strong Islamic State at the regional and international level. Otherwise, we should understand that ‘power’ is one of the hard tests of Allah swt, something which moves hand in hand among the people for a short period of time, but in the future may be the cause of Allah’s wrath which will result in regret of this world and the Hereafter.

Director of Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Afghanistan

* Written for Ar-Rayah Newspaper – Issue 353