The widespread reports and images of large crowds gathering to obtain passports in various cities, as well as the significant effort to leave Afghanistan, are phenomena that warrant careful consideration from multiple perspectives. This unprecedented rush to acquire passports has never occurred in the history of the country. In fact, the price of a passport on the black market has skyrocketed to several thousand US dollars, thanks to dealers who have aligned themselves with the Taliban. This situation highlights the fact that the majority of Afghan citizens are desperately seeking to escape the oppressive nature of the current system. They are willing to endure great hardships in order to find a way out of Afghanistan and relocate to any possible destination around the world.
Renowned author Yuval Noah Harari once stated that people express their preference for political regimes through their actions, specifically by choosing where to live. He explained that the significant number of individuals migrating or seeking refuge in certain countries indicates their implicit vote for those systems. For instance, very few people today desire to travel to Afghanistan, except for armed terrorists who have been expelled from other nations. Conversely, even those who vehemently opposed the republic and its principles during its twenty-year existence ultimately chose to flee from the so-called Islamic system and seek refuge in secular countries. This serves as evidence supporting Harari’s claim that the true measure of political preference lies in people’s physical movements rather than their verbal or symbolic actions. Consequently, it suggests that there is no universally applicable political system based on Islam in the real world. Instead, what exists are various extremist groups who interpret Islam according to their own interests and construct political systems accordingly.
The Taliban ought to reflect upon why individuals are reluctant to reside under their governance. They should consider why a significant majority, particularly those who are literate and educated, feel oppressed and have become disillusioned about their prospects. Why do people choose displacement, migration, homelessness, isolation, and other forms of suffering rather than living under the oppressive influence of this group? Why do they willingly abandon their homes, jobs, and lives to embark upon an uncertain future?
Additionally, it is advisable to inquire with members of Hizb-e- Tehrir, Jamiat Islah, Salafi groups, and other fundamentalist organizations whether they believe that the future of Taliban rule and its consequences were unpredictable or if they believed that their shared intellectual beliefs with this group were sufficient to benefit from its rule and its forthcoming. Should we consider the time spent? Was it a crime committed by the Republic to allow the establishment of schools, universities, television, radio, and numerous other profitable institutions? Should we have taken action to prevent this crime when the preachers spoke recklessly on television, in mosques, and on public platforms? Did the substantial amounts of money flowing from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and other countries under the guise of religious calling and with the intention of promoting Salafism, Brotherhood, and other extreme ideologies, which were then used to build houses, buildings, construction companies, car dealerships, and similar ventures for your advocates, suffice?
Finding the primary perpetrator and assigning blame at this moment is not of utmost importance. What holds significance is to derive lessons from the grave errors that occurred and prevent their recurrence. It is imperative that these mistakes do not transform into a revered approach or a steadfast policy of the present. Rather than endorsing ideological systems that harm all factions, our focus should solely be on establishing a national military that serves the best interests of the populace.