As Afghanistan has fallen back into the hands of the militant Taliban group, what does this mean for civil and political rights of people in the country?
Introduction
After the United States led a mission to dispel the original Taliban regime from governing in 2001, the organization has regrouped and now retaken control of the Afghani government. The Taliban have seized most major cities including the capital of Kabul and the United States has fully evacuated their presence in the country. The Afghani previously conducted government after the United States assisted takeover through a presidential system with a parliament including old warlords and faction leaders. Now, the Taliban has an interim government led by their main military commanders that are staunch Muslim conservatives. The government includes no women, minorities, or opposition members. The group has announced a general amnesty for civil servants and pledged to ensure the safety for residents of Kabul. However, previously they have claimed that they would conduct an “inclusive” government but have shown no strides in this area. This authoritarian reversion will prove to have major consequences for the government and people of Afghanistan. This begs the question when looking towards the future, will Afghanistan be a country that upholds and maintains rights for its citizens or an oppressive regime that relies upon traditional Islamic practices that include oppression of women with a government that silences minority opinion?
Why the Taliban Fight
The Taliban are a revolutionary movement that are deeply opposed to the tribal structure of Afghanistan. Their main goal is to take control of Kabul and Afghanistan and from there build an Islamic Emirate based on Sharia Law (Dorronsoro 2009). The Taliban reject large foreign forces and have efficient leadership, are quick to exploit the weaknesses of their adversaries, and have a strong and efficient communication network (Dorronsoro 2009). The Taliban build on growing discontent of Afghans through a relatively sophisticated propaganda apparatus which employ a multitude of strategies to reach their massive support base. The propaganda feeds on the widely perceived corruption of the Afghan government in its lack of basic services for people and the belief that the government does not take a strong stance against foreign invaders. The Afghan government was largely distrusted by their people and was viewed by many as a puppet of Western actors. Their biggest support base is in rural Pashtun areas and among mullahs and fundamentalists that wish to see Sharia Law in effect (Dorronsoro 2009). This belief in the government catering to foreign and particularly western interests shows the opposition that the Taliban hold to western progressive ideas of civil and political rights in favor of traditional Islamic law. If the Taliban maintain total control, this could have devastating effects on the civil and political rights of citizens.
Taliban’s Political Platform
The Taliban focus heavily on traditional Islamic principles and Sharia Law. Under Sharia Law, the governing principles for spiritual, mental, and physical behavior must be followed by all Muslims. However, the Taliban have militarized Sharia law into a tool to assert their will over citizens through their conduct (Hozyainova 2014). Shariah law is totalitarian in character and is viewed by many westerners as incompatible with constitutions that merit civil and political rights that are separate through secular government. The Taliban and Afghani governments were both largely rooted in religious reverence of Islamic principles. Under the Taliban’s new government, their hardline leadership is in control with many local warlords serving as provincial governors. The idea of an Afghan state built on an Islamic order, as defined by the Taliban, contradicts the concept of a liberal democracy. The Taliban have proclaimed opposition to electoral democracy and intend on imposing an oppressive theocracy centered in traditional Islamic law. It is unsure whether the Taliban will end up holding elections and they still have yet to prove tolerance of any minority or opposition group within the country.
Anti-Taliban Sentiment
While western countries have strongly shown their distrust of a Taliban government in Afghanistan, there are also internal anti-Taliban protests occurring in some parts of Afghanistan. In particular, Afghans have taken to the streets in Asadabad and Jalalabad protesting this new regime. It is too early to tell however whether there will be any internal resistance to Taliban rule as they now control a majority of the major cities in Afghanistan including Kabul. It is still unsure whether foreign western actors will be able to play upon internal insurrection to prevent the Taliban regime from total control or whether international intervention will occur. With increasing tolerance of western progressive ideals, especially after their implementation of the democratic government in 2001, it will be a marquee point to observe how the citizens respond to the governmental provisions of the Taliban regime.
Conclusion
The Taliban have pledged to show tolerance towards women, minorities, and opposition parties but it is easy to make baseless claims and not back them up when not held accountable. As the main governmental institution now in Afghanistan, the Taliban are exerting their will on the people for traditional Islamic law that rejects many of the notions of civil and political liberties that are the basis of western democratic ideology. The Taliban with their anti-western sentiment and reverence for Sharia law do not seem likely to be a progressive force for democracy and civil and political liberties. However, there is hope based on their previous claims that they may be more tolerant than when they were previously in power up to 2001. As globalization is increasing and people are demanding more civil and political liberties worldwide when considering their government, it will be interesting to see whether the Taliban are tolerant of western progressive ideas or assert traditional, relatively oppressive Islamic law while silencing minority opinions in government.
Sources
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/08/terrorism-to-increase-under-afghanistans-new-taliban-government.html
https://www.npr.org/2021/08/19/1028472005/afghanistan-conflict-timeline
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/taliban-afghanistan
https://www.mei.edu/publications/taliban-and-formation-new-afghan-government
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/religion/reports/2011/03/31/9175/understanding-sharia-law/
https://carnegieendowment.org/files/taliban_winning_strategy.pdf
https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR347-Sharia_and_Women%E2%80%99s_Rights_in_Afghanistan.pdf
Good analysis, I am also asking myself if the Taliban will modernize or will chose to oppress and control the Afghan citizens in many different ways.
It is important to recognize that they have now full control over a nation and are able to make decisions on their own and in the past have shown no mercy towards their opponents. I am also wondering if Afghan citizens will somehow occupy seats in the political arena or women will someday have access to public education and be part of the workforce in different areas. Since democracy will not longer be enforced I wonder how governmental public and private institutions are going to be governed or directed. Also, non-profit organizations supporting women and directed by activists could be in potential danger, can the international community protect these institutions? Do you believe that they will suppress women and political activists rights? What do they need to do to successfully modernize and don’t violate human rights? According to the United Nations human rights committee the Taliban must respect and follow International law as well as validate human rights on the country, however the scenario right now does not look that clear to make conclusions.
Morgan, I think this is a really insightful blog post that does a great job of tying in a very consequential current event to the course’s subject matter. I think your analysis of the Taliban’s takeover does a good job of showing that no matter how much effort the United States puts into spreading democracy, there is no telling what will happen once the United States leaves. I think there is good reason for the international community to show concern regarding if the Taliban will stay true to their promise of not persecuting women and minorities. I think a really important question to ask is if the Taliban does not keep their promise, who will then hold them accountable. I think it is important that the United States allow the Afghan people to have some sort of self-determination and autonomy. If that means allowing the Taliban to serve as their government, so be it. At the core of democracy is the idea that the citizens get to pick their government. Although the Afghan government may not be a democracy, allowing the Afghan people to choose that is important. This takeover was largely seen as a setback in Western eyes, but I think some Afghan people might see this as a chance to start a new. I think it is going to be interesting in the coming years to see what a Taliban government will look like in the 21st century. Are they going to adapt to the times and maybe allow women a larger role, or are they going to revert to oppressive theocratic ways. Only time will tell, but I think Afghanistan is on the brink of a new age that could bring about a positive change. I think instead of stepping on necks, the international community has a duty to allow Afghanistan some spot at the table. Instead of shutting out the country, allow its new leaders a chance to establish itself. It might not be as bad as we think. We might be surprised.
Hi Morgan, great post! I am especially interested in this topic because I just read a book for another class relating to this topic called “The Underground Girls of Kabul”. It is a great read, and I learned so much about the cultural and historical context of what is happening now, as well as the different ways agency can be defined. With the Taliban trying to stabilize Afghanistan, there are a lot of questions relating to democratic processes, such as civil society, and I think the book I read could give some insight. So Afghanistan has been under the control of various internal and external forces for many years, which has prohibited consistent capability of the state to protect its people. When there is no state security, people form their own means of security, such as security of the family. In Afghanistan, people participate in a patrilineal system, which has meant that members of a family play specific gendered roles to maintain the reputation (security) of the family. For Afghani women, this has meant being exchanged in a marriage for a bride price, being pressured to raise sons, and expected discreteness in their dress and behavior. The book details women who want the same political rights and opportunities as men, but it also includes plenty of women who abide by this patrilineal tradition. I do not see civil society improving in Afghanistan soon, because the Taliban has little credibility in keeping their word and because large parts of the population are still supportive of keeping their civil society engagement where it’s at, even if it is minimal.