There has much online jubilation amongst some Muslims, at the successful return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan.
To my mind, this attitude is unwarranted, and in many cases goes against the teachings of Islam. It is based on some serious misunderstandings of both Islam and history.
We need to ensure that we don’t rush to excuse the inexcusable, out of a misplaced sense of loyalty to people just because they assume an ‘Islamic identity’.
This is just modern tribalism.
The Qur’an should be the criterion to scrupulously judge all actions, regardless of ‘us vs them’.
Allah commands us to stand for justice and not allow our hatred of a people (Let’s say of American political leaders) to cause us to be unjust:
O believers! Be steadfast for the sake of Allah and bear true witness and let not the enmity of a people incite you to do injustice; do justice; that is nearer to piety. Fear Allah, surely Allah is fully aware of all your actions
Qur’an (5:8)
Let’s look at a few common ideas being spread online, and analyse them with reference to the Qur’an and history.
“The Taliban are allowing women to go to work and girls to continue in education. They are not forcing women to cover their faces, or punishing them for leaving home alone. The Taliban is even doing interviews with women TV presenters”
Response:
IF you are saying that they are right to do all the above, I agree with you. I welcome these changes. However I was always opposed to these restrictions anyway.
Not one of these restrictions is truly Islamic. They represent restrictions on women that Allah did not impose.
But to those who are opposed to unveiled women giving interviews to non-mahram men on Pakistani TV, I ask why is it ‘okay ’if the Taliban do it?
Secondly, if you supported Taliban whipping women who dressed modestly, covered their hair, but not their faces in the 1990s, how can you agree with this now?
Either the Taliban was wrong then, or it is wrong now. Let’s call a spade a spade.
“The Taliban have given an amnesty to all their enemies. They have demonstrated the Mercy of the Prophet (saw) at the conquest of Makka”
Response:
I welcome the amnesty. I commend the Taliban for not taking action against their opponents. This is truly a positive thing.
However, please do not compare this with the actions of the Merciful Prophet (saw). He forgave the murderers of his family members and those who viciously persecuted innocent, poor Muslims.
The Taliban are not just innocent victims. They have massacred thousands of other Afghans. Take the massacre of of Mazar i Sharif in 1998 for example.
Or take the suicide bombings they unleashed first in Afghanistan and then in Pakistan.
They have got their hands covered with the blood of innocent Muslims. They should seek forgiveness of Allah and forgiveness of their victims, this would be the truly Islamic thing to do.
Remember what the Prophet (saw) said?
Sunan An-Nasai 4995
The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the people are safe, and the believer is the one from whom the people’s lives and wealth are safe.
“Allah helped the Taliban and gave them a miraculous victory over the USA. They defeated both Russia and America, despite their weapons and resources. This shows they are supported by Allah”
Response:
The USA spent two whole decades in Afghanistan. They utterly vanquished the Taliban, and its leaders such as Mullah Omar died on the run. During this whole period, 3500 or so NATO soldiers were killed. While 51,000 Afghans died including large numbers of Taliban fighters.
The Taliban failed to get the USA to leave, and failed to retake power.
The USA left, when it had achieved its objectives and decided it didn’t want to spend anymore money. If they had stuck around, the Taliban would still be out of power today.
The Afghan ‘army’ ran away and refused to fight. This was because they riven by corruption. The Taliban did not even defeat them, because you can only defeat an enemy who actually bothers to fight.
The Taliban manifestly did not win a victory against the USA. As for Russia, they fought that ‘Jihad’ with US money and weapons. This ‘divine victory’ included enemies of the Taliban, so they can hardly take all the credit.
If the Taliban are divinely favoured one wonders, why were they successfully defeated and forced out of power in the first place? What is more, there are many stunning military victories in history, do all of them show divine help? I don’t think so.
Take the case of the false claimant of being Mahdi, Muhammad Ahmad in Sudan in the 19th century. He was stunningly successful initially. Yet as Muslims, we all believe he was a false claimant of Mahdi-ship and thus, an enemy of Allah.
The current domination of oppressors of Muslims in Palestine, Kashmir, Burma and Xinjiang also contradicts the ‘Allah is helping the righteous ones’ narrative.
The Qur’an makes it clear that good and bad people will have have good and bad times alternating between them and this is all a test of our imaan, and nothing more:
…We apportion unto men such days [of fortune and misfortune]: and [this] to the end that God might mark out those who have attained to faith…
Qur’an 3:40
“The Afghan Taliban are not the same as the TTP (Pakistani Taliban). They are friends of Pakistan unlike the outgoing Afghan regime, who plotted against Pakistan with India”
Response:
One of the first actions of the Afghan Taliban was to release thousands of terrorists from prison, including commanders of the Pakistani Taliban who had attacked Marketplaces, Churches, and civilians with impunity and killed 70,000 Pakistanis.
The same animals who killed the schoolchildren in Peshawar.
Hardly proof that they are not closely associated, don’t you think?
This includes Faqir Mohammed the Deputy Leader of TTP and a host of others such as Commander Zali, Waqas Mehsud, Hamza Mehsud, Zarqawi Mehsud, Zaitullah Mehsud, Qari Hameedullah Mehsud, Dr Hameed Mehsud and Mazhar Mehsud.
When these terrorists start killing old men and women, and children in Pakistani bazaars again, I will ask you about the ‘good afghan Taliban’ who released them and have never condemned their murderous campaign against Pakistani civilians.
“Taliban are against American imperialists, they are defenders of Muslims”
Response:
They were happy to make friends with America in the 1980s. Today they are shaking hands with China, which is systematically banning Islam and forcing Muslims to eat pork.
They killed countless Sunni Muslims, of the Barelvi sect and blew up their mazaars. They have killed many more Muslims then they have American soldiers. Hardly actions of Muslims at all. Let alone of Muslim heroes.
“Taliban follow the Shariah and implement Allah’s laws. That’s why we support them”
Response:
Do you listen to music? Or do others whom you love?
Yes, then why do you cheer someone getting beat up for what you do yourself?
Do your daughters get educated, go to work, do shopping, go out, without a full face covering? Would you want someone to beat them up for doing so?
Do you protest against injustice and demand your human rights in full? Then why do you like for others, what you disdain for yourself? The Prophet, alayhisaalam said:
Whoever would love to be delivered from the Hellfire and entered into Paradise, then let him die with faith in Allah and the Last Day, and let him treat the people the way he would love to be treated.
Sahih Muslim 1844
It is a sign of hypocrisy in us, that we want rulers to force others to be ‘good Muslims’ but do not meet those ‘standards’ ourselves.
In any case those that impose their will on others, and kill innocent people with impunity are guility of the most heinous crime in the Sharia: Fasaad fil arz (Disorder in the Earth). Do not forget: There is no compulsion in religion (Qur’an 2:256).
The Taliban are the biggest criminals of Sharia themselves, they are hardly in a position to punish lesser ‘criminals’.
Let alone the fact that Muslim scholars like Ibn Hazm and Imam Ghazal did not regard Music as forbidden.
Nor does the Shafi’i school regard keeping a beard as compulsory.
Neither did the Hanafi scholars give punishments for people who committed such ‘sins’.
The Taliban assume the right to punish others for sins that God alone can adjudicate upon. In this they seek to present themselves as pure of sins. Allah condemns this attitude:
So do not flaunt your piety, He knows best who it is that guards against evil
Qur’an 53:32
“The Western Media and establishment are hypocrites. So are our desi liberals. Why do they object to Taliban forcing girls to cover themselves, but support France in banning headscarves? Why are they silent of about Israeli atrocities but quick to object to the Taliban?”
Response:
I agree 100 percent. These appalling double standards need to be called out. We should vociferously oppose India in Kashmir, Israel in Palestine, America’s imperial wars, France and China’s oppression of Muslims.
However, the answer to hypocrisy is not more hypocrisy.
We are obliged in Islam to try to prevent our fellow Muslims from doing wrong, and so it is our solemn duty to do so..e
The Qur’an says the Bani Israel were cursed by Allah’s Prophets (alayhimasalam) because they refused to stop each other when they did evil, we need to avoid making the same mistake:
…Cursed by the tongue of David and of Jesus the son of Mary were those who disbelieved among the children of Israel. That was because they disobeyed and transgressed. They would not prevent one another from the wrongdoing they did. How evil was that which they were doing.
Qur’an 5:78-79