Coming To A Country Not Far Enough From You - The Mental State Of Taliban

 It took about 13 years for the US Army to loose the war in Vietnam (1962-1975). Now 20 years after their invasion of Afghanistan (2001-2021) the US Army has lost the war there as well. The Americans are being kicked out again. President Biden has announced that the US Army will complete its withdrawal from Afghanistan in September 2021. I believe the long lines are already forming outside the US Embassy in Kabul seeking visas to the United States. 

And now the Taliban is poised to take over Afghanistan again. And the Taliban have promised a more brutal and bloody "emirate" in Afghanistan. 

The following is based on a report by Asia Sentinel here. The report was written by Salman Rafi Sheikh.

Just released from asylum, still on medication.

• “Islamic emirate” unlikely to protect fundamental human rights
• very few Taliban officials permit girls to attend school 
• Others do not permit girls’ schools at all
• In Taliban areas extensive moral policing 
• morality officials patrol districts 
• monitor dress codes, beard length, Friday prayers, use of smartphones 
• Taliban restrictions have become harsher

• Afghan war coming to end
• Biden to withdraw all US troops by Sept 11 
• cleared way for Taliban to control Afghanistan 
• Taliban can establish control through force
• Taliban all set to return as dominant force
• control Afghan's political, social, ideological orientations
• to establish Islamic emirate, no space for democracy

Taliban website says “Afghans want Islamic System in Afghanistan” 
artificial state building and democracy failed miserably in Afghanistan 
only way out “is implementation of Islamic system"
Kabul admin slaves who cannot defend religious, national values ​​of Afghans

• Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran – no problem with Taliban
• to avoid infighting, civil war in Afghanistan 
• avoid spillover into Pakistan, Caucasus, Xinjiang

China looking to expand Belt & Road  into Iran, Afghan as well

Pakistan could see another wave of Afghan refugees
badly shattered Pakistan economy can ill-afford 

• 1.5m Afghan refugees already inside Pakistan, 2.5m in Iran
• 7m of Afghanistan’s 38m population – 18% – have fled country
• Millions more are likely to flee, as Asia Sentinel reported on April 12

My comments :  I believe Afghanistan is the most cursed country on the surface of the earth. This round of fighting in Afghanistan began in the 1970s. The country has been at war for about 50 years. And almost the entire fighting has been against their own people. The Soviet invasion (1979) and the American invasion (2001) pitted one group of Afghans against another.

If you think the Afghans are the friendliest people on earth, you seriously need medication. And let us not blame the Taliban entirely for the madness in Afghanistan now. The "traditional" culture in Afghanistan is heavily influenced by their belief in their version of religion.

And for over 160 years (since before 1860) religion in North India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and into Central Asia has been strongly influenced by the Deobandi school of religion in India. And the ground zero of Deobandism is the Darul Uloom Madrasah in Deoband. 

From the 1970s onwards  almost all the senior Taliban cadres were trained at the Darul Uloom in Deoband in India.  Deobandism is strongly influenced by Salafism/Wahhabism, from even before the birth of Saudi Arabia. (For those who do not know - another graduate of the Darul Uloom in Deoband was Nik Aziz Nik Mat of Pas). 

So the Deobandis are now set to own an entire country - Afghanistan.  The asylum is going to be busy.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.