The people of Afghanistan are perplexed. They are not content with the actions of the Taliban, nor with those of neighboring countries and the international community. On the one hand, they observe that after almost two years of assuming power and gaining control over Afghanistan, not a single country is willing to recognize the Taliban’s rule as the legitimate government of the country, and evidently everyone is in agreement on this issue. On the other hand, packages worth $40 million are continually being sent to this group, and furthermore, they receive abundant financial and non-financial aid from other countries.
The people of Afghanistan have stated that the reason why this group is not recognized is due to its refusal to accept the most fundamental principles and values of human rights, its disregard for the opinions and wishes of the people, its taking of Afghan women hostage in order to extort ransom from the international community, its lack of appreciation for Afghanistan’s scientific and specialized personnel, its purposeful facilitation of the brain drain from the country, its viewing of intellectuals as enemies to prevent any thinking or speaking out, its forcing of political forces into exile to create a more favorable situation for its own one-sidedness, and its providing of a safe haven for terrorist groups to turn this country into a base for terrorism. All of these reasons are understandable to any rational person, and the people of Afghanistan are thankful to their neighbors and the international community for their stance on this matter.
The question that still plagues every conscientious citizen of this country is why is there such leniency and support for a repressive and human rights-violating group, rather than the necessary criminal measures being taken? Why are there so many financial and non-financial aids at their disposal, with no proper oversight on their usage? During the former government of Afghanistan, both domestic and foreign media reported on the corruption and embezzlement that existed, yet today, when the level of waste and loss is even greater, even expressing concern is not being taken seriously. People are asking if the danger of corruption was greater during the former government or if the millions of dollars being transferred to a group that supports and strengthens thousands of foreign terrorists without accounting for it is worse? Part of this money goes directly into the pockets of Taliban leaders to gain more recruitment power, and another part is spent on programs that directly or indirectly promote extremism and terrorism. If these resources and funds were not available, the suppression of people’s forces in Panjshir, Kunduz, Andarab, Kandahar, Badakhshan, and other regions of Afghanistan would not have been so easy. Furthermore, if these aids were not available, the pride of this group in front of the people of Afghanistan would not have increased to such a degree.
Political analysts are aware that failing to acknowledge certain governments can be a source of worry for the public opinion of their citizens, and the funds they provide are for accounts that have been opened to benefit this group in their proxy wars for the future. However, what is the binary policy of countries towards a repressive group that has taken a nation hostage, and how long will this policy persist?
