No place for Construction in Taliban Line of Thinking
No doubt, currently things are going awry in Afghanistan and need to be addressed prudently, quickly and effectively. Horizons are getting closed as the people get killed in cruel acts of terrorists and the government fails to ensure security for its people and pave the way for economic development and prosperity. There is a growing ennui among the people of Afghanistan as the violence and terrorism intensify.
Just on late Wednesday, May 18, the Taliban insurgents killed 35 construction workers and wounded 24 in an attack in Zadran district of volatile southeastern province of Paktia. Thirteen other workers were still missing after the assault. This shows that the government's humble and repeated call for reconciliation with the Taliban militants and other insurgent groups is not appealing to them. In fact, it is just adding misery to the plight of ordinary Afghans who remain without protection against these not "disgruntled brothers" but the "heartless terrorists."
Despite the presence of up to 150,000 foreign troops, violence throughout the country is at its worst since the 2001 overthrow of the Taliban government in the US led international intervention. The Taliban militants continue to target construction and development project workers. Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack in March when three suicide bombers killed 24 construction workers in Paktika, a province considered a hotbed of the insurgency.
Taliban, last month, announced the start of a long-awaited "spring offensive", vowing to carry out attacks, including suicide bombings on foreign and Afghan troops and government officials in the tenth year of an increasingly unpopular war. Even if the workers manage to build roads and other infrastructures bearing all the trials and hardships, the militants destroy the asphalted roads or the bridges that are constructed as they continue to attack schools and school children.
It shows that there is no place for construction, development and education in Taliban's line of thinking. Afghan government has failed to come forward to explain the reasons for the ongoing terrible situation and its proposed solution to it. The government, instead, stubbornly continues to whitewash the atrocities and wicked terrorist activities of the Taliban and other Al-Qaeda-affiliated insurgents by calling them as "unhappy brothers", which is becoming disgusting for Afghan people who lose their family members in the attacks carried out by these lunatics almost on a daily basis.
Culture, Islamic Teachings and Indian Dramas
On Tuesday, May 17, members of Afghan senate or upper house of parliament censured government, in general, and Ministry of culture and information, in particular, for the so-called failing to protect Afghans' culture against foreign cultural invasion. Seemingly, our respective representatives are angry about Indian series, movies and songs which are instantly feeding several Private TV channels that remain desperate to fill their schedules. They are in view that such dramas were against Islamic teachings.
Two different subjects are mixed in their criticism of Ministry of culture and information. On one hand, they were talking about foreign cultural invasion, and, on the other, Islamic teachings. However, religion and culture are combined in such manner that differentiation between the two has become severely difficult. Meanwhile, there are differences, which cannot be ignored.
Taking from Middle East countries to Far-East Asian countries where Islam as a religion is followed by people, meanwhile their cultures are as different from one another as that of differences between Islam and Christianity. There are several Islamic countries in the world with secular culture as well. There are many things severely banned by religious teachings, but are widely practiced in the society, which people hardly take notice of.
Ostensibly, members of Upper House of parliament are mostly concerned about the consequences of Indian movies, and prevalence of English language. As one of them criticized why billboards of shops and other business centers were written in English instead of Pashto and Dari, the two national languages of Afghanistan.
As far as the first issue is concerned, this is not the first time that such concerns are voiced out in the country about the so-called foreign cultural invasion. Indian dramas have been the center of such criticism that conservatives called for their complete stoppage. But their demands were not fulfilled; however, there is some ridiculous criticism of Bollywood dramas where actresses appear with naked belly. But, generally, those movies and series are largely welcomed by Afghan people and Bollywood actresses and actors are quite popular in the country.
This general inclination has both social and psychological reasons. During Taliban regime, TV channels were prohibited. And no one was able to watch movies and series due to definite persecution. Similarly, years of bloodsheds and violence in the country terribly affected emotional feelings and sentiments of people. As most of these Indian dramas are based on fantasy and romantic love stories, they can actually respond to suppressed humanitarian feelings of people.
Losing Influence Even before Establishing it across the Country
Afghanistan has experienced thirty years of war and conflict. The country continues to remain violent. It is important to emerge out of this appalling and terrible situation. But the government alone cannot solve the problems. On Wednesday, May 18, 2011, some 1,500 protesters poured into the streets of a northern Afghan city, shouting "Death to America!" and "Death to Karzai" and calling for justice as they clashed with security forces following an overnight NATO raid they claim killed four civilians.
The demonstration turned violent and as a result at least 11 people were killed when the protesters fought with police and tried to assault a NATO outpost in the city of Taloqan, the capital of Takhar province. Afghans have been very sensitive towards civilian casualties caused by international forces in the counter-insurgency operations, particularly those conducted overnight. Afghans can wage protest against civilian deaths, no matter whether caused by Taliban or international and Afghan security forces.
But they must not address the issue in emotional and sentimental fashion. They must try to learn rational practices and actions. They thought they could solve the issue of killing two or four civilians by killing another 11 people. Common sense, logic and wisdom do not tell us so. But unfortunately they have not raised their voice against the atrocious killing of Afghan people by the Taliban and other terrorist networks. Taliban militants continue to kill Afghans through suicide attacks, roadside bombings and face-to-face fighting almost every day. But unfortunately there has not been any protest waged by ordinary Afghans against the Taliban insurgents.
In order to analyze the reason, it could be said that it is the government that has chosen this game. The president continues to call those militants and insurgents as "unhappy brothers." This is feeding ordinary Afghans across the country. But when a civilian or few civilians are killed in counter-terrorism strikes and operations, the government hits the ceiling and flies into rage.
The government has responsibility to protect the citizens of this country but it has to address the sources of violence that leads to killing innocent Afghan people. The killing caused by disgruntled brothers is almost ninety percent more than the killing caused by counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations carried out by Afghan national army and international security forces. The chanting of "Death to Karzai" shows that president Karzai has also lost his influence before he has been able to expand and establish it across the country.
0 comments:
Post a Comment