It is a perplexing situation in Afghanistan where, due to persistent crises and disasters spanning several decades, the groups involved in conflicts have alternately become oppressors or oppressed, war criminals or war victims, violators of human rights, or targets of atrocities.
The invasions of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union in the 20th century and the US-led coalition forces in the 21st century have had adverse effects on public life. They have provoked public sentiments, promoted radicalization, mysteriously generated extremism, facilitated proxy wars, increased rivalry among neighboring and regional countries, dismantled the historic tribal culture of peacekeeping, and escalated security threats worldwide.
During the Cold War era, the freedom fighters were referred to as warlords. However, when the US-led coalition invaded Afghanistan, these same warlords, who were violators of human rights, were honored as major stakeholders in the process of Afghanistan’s democratization.
The people of Afghanistan have consistently been victims of war crimes and human rights violations committed by domestic warlords and foreign invaders. The culprits responsible for these atrocities should have been brought to justice. However, the self-granted immunity and the changing of allegiances have created confusion and hindered the pursuit of justice for the victims of war crimes. The self-granted immunity and shifting loyalties have further complicated the just struggle for implementing justice in our war-torn country.
Unfortunately, a portion of our society is still influenced by a medieval mentality, which has been negatively affected by various internal and external factors, particularly invasions and external influences. Unless we make joint efforts, it may take decades for this mentality to acknowledge and realize that modern technology does not contradict the principles of Islam. We need to understand that the Western world may have hegemonic ambitions, but it is not in their interest to spend their time, energy, and resources to change our moral values, divert our youth’s religious perceptions, or deny equal access to education as a fundamental right for both genders.
Twenty-two years ago, if the Taliban had taken the same stance against Al Qaeda as they do today, or if the international community had engaged with the Taliban as they do today, the invasion of Afghanistan could have been avoided. If a reasonable portion of the costs of the war on terror had been transparently spent on the reconstruction of Afghanistan by an administration free from corruption, our country would not have been devastated. 90% of Afghans would not be living below the poverty line, burdening the international community. The world would not be facing the same security threats as it does now, and most importantly, hundreds of thousands of lives would have been saved.
There is no doubt that, under specific conditions and within the regulations of Islam, every Muslim must believe in the sanctity of the struggle against foreign invading forces. However, the problem lies in the fact that our warring groups have unrealistically engaged in killing their compatriots for power, both before and after the invasions. They have inaccurately used religious obligations or patriotic compulsions to justify and legitimize their killings. Surprisingly, whenever they gain power, they turn their backs on their commitments and promises, severely damaging the sanctity of our religious and patriotic values.
It is absolutely clear and unquestionable that some of our neighbors and global players have played tremendously controversial and harmful roles in Afghanistan. We often point fingers at them, ignoring our shortcomings. We should ask ourselves why we have fulfilled their ambitions and allowed their devilish plans to unfold in Afghanistan for several decades.
The difficult question to answer is why we have consistently failed to address our imperfections, engage in positive competition, focus on self-sufficiency, abandon the provocative perception of blaming others, and define our national interests.
