‘AFGHANISTAN  PEACE  AGREEMENT’ ARE  MUSLIMS VICTIM OF A CRUEL HOAX?

In Afghanistan, America became entrapped and tried many strategies and options to pull out from Afghanistan right after 2006. The position of America has slipped from being a superpower to simply one of the many powers with unsustainable baggage of Military expeditions.

A report on ‘Global Landscape 2020’ is a document, written in the year 2003, which highlighted various future ‘Relative Certainties’. One of them being: “Political Islam shall remain a potent force” by 2020. Interestingly, the article discussed about pressure on Governance due to political Islam and predicted a ‘New Caliphate’ by 2020 which could constitute a challenge to Western norms and values. This report was supported and compiled by many leading experts who engage in a broad-gauged discussion with Intelligence Community analysts. Strategies to contain the challenge from political Islam for the American Establishment were drawn [1]. A ‘Pseudo-Caliphate’ seems to be one of the strategies adopted to malign and delay the reestablishment of a ‘True Islamic Caliphate’. History is a proof, we earlier saw one such emergence which showcased perverse form of Islam in the name of a Caliphate. While the recent emergence of the Taliban in the name of Islam would be another unfortunate reality if they forgo this opportunity to establish ‘True Islamic Caliphate’.

Further, in the year 2004 a document entitled: “The Muslim World after 9/11” was published [2]. The document had a crisp and detailed categorization and analysis of the Muslims in general and various functional Muslim organizations and groups in particular. Lastly Rand Corporation published, in the year 2020, a detailed report card of strategies which were tried after 2003 to help US get out of the Afghanistan quagmire. The policy which gave them the desired outcome was named as ‘Disarm’, ‘Demobilise’ and ‘Reintegrate’ (DDR) [3]. However, prior to this most of the strategies failed during the initial years of its implementation while the DDR gave them the desired outcome.

US Strategy DDR Part 1: ‘Disarm’

After the year 2011 the efforts were coordinated with various dedicated flunkies like Pakistan, Qatar and the soft submissive Taliban to engage with their forces on the ground. For the first time a time frame was set on the U.S. military presence, as Obama set July 2011 as the start of a troop drawdown. Obama confirmed that the U.S. is holding preliminary peace talks with the Taliban leadership. In January 2012, the Taliban struck a deal to open an office in Qatar which was a move toward peace talks that the United States sees as a crucial part of a political settlement [4]. In 2013 there was an interview and a discussion moderated by Ms. Shoma Chaudhury during ‘Think Fest 2013’ in Goa, India, between Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, Taliban’s ambassador to Pakistan when the US invaded Afghanistan in 2001 and Robert Grenier, CIA officer who served as the agency’s top counter-terrorism official from 2004 to 2006. This session was organised when the US was contemplating an exit from Afghanistan and approaching soft mainstream Taliban leaders [5]. Indian Officials defended the visit of Mullah Zaeef saying it was part of a process to engage with elements of the Islamist force who have returned to the mainstream and are part of Afghanistan’s peace process. One must appreciate this Indian approach to bring peace in Afghanistan. Government sources pointed out that Zaeef had visited India a couple of times in the past and the latest trip had no surprise element in it. With the date of withdrawal of US troops drawing closer, India is worried about the safety of its interests and assets in Afghanistan [6]. Henceforth, the process to disarm started exclusively in the year 2013 with the opening of Office of Taliban in Qatar to deal with the US on behalf of Taliban. However, those leaders on the field who obstructed and resisted the process were targeted, punished and removed. This was the start of disarming the Taliban.

US Strategy DDR Part 2: ‘Demobilise’

Subsequent demobilisation against the US assets in Afghanistan started during the negotiation stages which culminated on 29 February 2020 with the signing of a ‘Peace Agreement’ between the two sides. As per the agreement Taliban demobilised and took full responsibility to defend US military against any attack and accepted Intra-Afghan demobilisation as well. Further, it was many times underlined by the Taliban leadership that they would work in cohesion and coherence with the sentiments of the international community. Time and again their spokesperson in Kabul Mr. Abdul Qahar Balkhis, defended on various issues concerning women, education, human rights and International relations. All these issues are just a pretext of the west to subdue the Taliban leadership and bring home their capitalist objectives.

US Strategy DDR Part 3: ‘Reintegrate’

The peace agreement led to the Taliban take over on 15 August 2021 and the process shifted towards re-integration under the guidelines of Doha Peace Agreement which was subservient to International rules. Except for consideration of few regulations regarding women and Shari’ criminal codes the Shariah guidelines regarding Economic system, Political System and Foreign Policy seems to be out of focus at the moment. Solution to the present day food insecurity, health crisis is not with the US dollar, IMF, World Bank or any, so called, International Community but it is only possible by Islamic Economic System. A system which would coordinate on various political fronts specifically with an Islamic Foreign policy. Present crisis in Afghanistan is a man-made crisis. Afghanistan and its ‘Multi Trillion Dinar’ natural resources are the need of the Western powers. On the contrary, these natural resources are the public property under Shariah. Only sharia guidelines should be used to shape the economic policy. The policy focus should only be towards the benefit of Muslims to bring them out of their present day crisis. The terms and conditions to manage the resources can never be oriented towards the America in particular or the west or east in general. The delay in the open ended policy decision is a source of many suspicions. Reintegration with the Islamic economic model can only be a source of success in this world and the hereafter. Reintegration with those who always stood against Islam and Muslims in the name of ‘Peace Agreement’ is a farce. It would be a mockery of Islamic Political System and contemptuous of Shariah if this peace deal supersedes the deal we made with Allah in the Aalam e Arwa. Allah(swt) informed us in Surah Al-Aaraf aya 172,

[وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتَ بِرَبِّكُمْ قَالُواْ بَلَى شَهِدْنَا أَن تَقُولُواْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَذَا غَافِلِينَ]

“And recall (O Prophet) when your Lord brought forth descendants from the loins of the sons of Adam, and made them witnesses against their own selves. Asking them: 'Am I not your Lord?' * They said: 'Yes, we do testify.'  We did so lest you claim on the Day of Resurrection: 'We were unaware of this.'”

Few of the many instances below are a proof of their efforts to reintegrate with those who do not have a solution to their own problems:

• International Interactions and meetings to reintegrate with the world

Few recent international meetings are a proof of the efforts of the Taliban to fine tune their relations with the global leaders. In recent months, at least four countries - China, Russia and Turkmenistan - have accredited Taliban-appointed diplomats [7]. Representatives of the Taliban government met with European Union (EU) diplomatic envoys in Doha, Qatar. The Taliban requested humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, and the EU representatives voiced concerns about human rights in the country [8]. During a meeting with Taliban envoys, diplomats from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries called for a national reconciliation plan in Afghanistan that respects women’s rights to work and go to school [9]. The Taliban’s meeting with representatives from Norway and other countries focused on Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation and human rights [10]. Barely a month after Taliban took over Afghanistan's capital city Kabul the group has written to the United Nations, seeking a seat at the General Assembly [11]. The efforts towards economic normalization with the West are evident in these recent diplomatic appeals to different powers in the West. 

• A letter to the US Congress to reintegrate in their economic model

During November in an open letter to the US Congress Taliban's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi entreated to unfreeze Afghan central bank assets worth $9 billion. It was reiterated that “we believe in full implementation of Doha Agreement”. Additionally, it referred to the talks which started in 2011 and the deal took shape over a period of time in coordination with three US administrations. The letter ensured about their desire to establish a positive International relationship without a threat to the region or the world from Afghanistan. Further, an important focus was on coordination and reintegration with the America. They offered and reminded the United States of America upon investment in the manufacturing, agriculture and mining sectors of Afghanistan. The extent of this submissive tone can be sensed as one goes through the text of the letter under which a solution was sought from the enemies of Islam and of the Muslims [12].

The Islamic Guidelines

• The Reality

Today, Afghanistan has enormous natural resources approximately more than 3 trillion dollars. All this is Islamically a public property. It is also a fact that there is sufficient annual food available in the form of various agricultural produce, animal husbandry, dry fruits etc.. Although, famine in Afghanistan has partly affected the region. The Government policy is responsible for the present crisis in Afghanistan. It is noteworthy that hunger doesn’t need dollars from US or the IMF to fill the belly of the masses rather it is a debt to enslave any country. Subsequently, this debt becomes the cause of starvation and the sole reason for the loss of country’s natural resources to repay the loan. Capitalistic economic policy given by the West is the actual cause of misery, hardship, poverty and hunger in the world. We call upon the Taliban leadership on the seat of power to return to the Islamic Economic model which works on the basis of reintegration with Islamic political solutions. Allah (swt) only has the solution but that cannot be through partial implementation of the Shariah.

[أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ فَمَا جَزَاء مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلاَّ خِزْيٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَى أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ وَمَا اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ]

“Do you believe in a part of the Book and reject the rest?What else, then, could be the retribution of those among you who do this than that they should live in degradation in the present life, and that on the Day of Resurrection they should be sent to the severest chastisement?” [Al-Baqara: 85].

However, everyone accepts that the Taliban, on the ground, have succeeded in winning the war against the super power America which demoralised and compelled it to leave Afghanistan. At this juncture, we must appreciate the decline and containment of the US with a dent in its sphere of influence. In fact, the US has been practically ‘disarmed’ but in case the terms of agreement are followed then it must be clear that we have not ‘demobilised’ US. In the light of Islam if the process of reintegration with the International community, UN and the Western Ideology continues along with internallypromoting nationalistic objectives this would just be a partial worldly success. Their complete success can only be through ‘reintegration’ of the regime with the Islamic Objectives, ‘reintegration’ with the International Muslim Community, ‘reintegration’ with the Ummah, ‘reintegration’ with the Islamic ideology and rejecting the Afghanistan specific nationalistic objectives. This Ummah is one Ummah; don’t enslave them in the walls of boundaries drawn by man. This is ‘Asabiyah’ which is forbidden in Islam.

The Prophet (saw) said,

«لَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ دَعَا إِلَى عَصَبِيَّةٍ وَلَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ قَاتَلَ عَلَى عَصَبِيَّةٍ وَلَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ مَاتَ عَلَى عَصَبِيَّةٍ»

"He is not one us who calls for `Asabiyah, (racism/nationalism/tribalism) or who fights for `Asabiyah or who dies for `Asabiyah."

Allah (swt)has made the point very clear about the concept of global Ummah without consideration for the man made boundaries:

[وَإِنَّ هَذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاتَّقُونِ]

“This Ummah of yours is one Ummah, and I am your Lord; so hold Me alone in fear.” [Al-Mu’minoun: 52].

The Shariah demands opening of its boundaries for all Muslim lands around Afghanistan which were formed by the ‘Sykes-Picot’ conspiracy plotted by the West in 1916. If the Taliban regime falters and deviates to implement this demand of Islam, then they would be another ‘Pseudo Islamic Regime’ which would serve the objectives of the West in general and America in particular. This situation would make them the pawns in the hands of America and many others around. The net result would be their reintegration with those who would drop crumbs in their bowl in exchange for huge natural resources available in Afghanistan. However, the real loss awaits them in the Akhirah.

• The Ummah’s Expectations

The present situation in Afghanistan is similar in terms of the confidence of this Ummah on Taliban as it was on Al-Nahda party in Tunisia and Ikhwanul Muslimeen in Egypt. In both the cases they advocated establishing the Shariah in their respective lands before coming to power. Did they or could they do that? So, Taliban must understand the meaning behind ‘Reintegration’ as the history has lessons to be learnt.

According to Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, the Quraish proposed to the Holy Prophet (saw); "We shall give you so much of wealth that you will become the richest man of Makkah; we shall give you whichever woman you like in marriage; we are prepared to follow and obey you as our leader, only on the condition that you will not speak ill of our gods…….. The Prophet (saw) rejected this ‘Peace Agreement’ (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Tabarani).

Said bin Mina has related that Walid bin Mughirah, As bin Wail, Aswad bin al-Muttalib and Umayyah bin Khalaf met the Holy Prophet (saw) and said to him: "O Muhammad  (saw), let us agree that we would worship your God and you would worship our gods, and we would make you a partner in all our works….."At this Allah(swt) sent down: Surah Kafiroon where in Allah(swt) rejected this reintegration and sharing of power with the Quraish.  (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Hisham)

These has to be the source of guidance to set policies with a sole objective to please Allah(swt).

Ummah is again waiting for the re-establishment of Shariah at the hands of Taliban with expectations of an inclusive vision for the Ummah and not only for the Afghanistan. This can happen only through the Islamic Caliphate on the method of the Prophet(saw). This time the confidence and expectations of the Ummah must not fail. Taliban achieved this victory over America solely due to their Eiman in Allah(swt) and through His Deen which developed courage in them to physically prevail over the superpower America. Now as the global acceptability of America as a military super power is fast vanishing. Many perceive it as a country with military power, just like many, but short of manpower with specific objective, courage and valour.

Although, Taliban regime is free to put the Allah’s(swt) Deen subservient to the International Laws which are set under the United Nations guidance. It is not allowed to follow the concept of Nation-State set under the Westphalia Treaty in Germany and later endorsed by Mortimer Durand to isolate Afghanistan from rest of the Ummah. Now, under the present scenario in Afghanistan the Taliban need to figure out which standard should they establish under their rule.

• The Ummah’s Questions

Where is that promised Islamic shariah in your ruling system? What is the model of your Economic System which should be under the shield of an Imam of this Ummmah? Are you implementing the Islamic Social System? Can there be Security, Economic Prosperity,