In a Conference titled “Afghanistan: Between Past and Future,” hosted by the Russian Party of Freedom and Justice in Moscow, some political opponents of the Taliban shared their perspectives. Participants in this Conference called for the support of countries worldwide and in the region to achieve a fundamental solution to the crisis in Afghanistan. They emphasized that Afghanistan is a diverse country, composed of various ethnicities, languages, and political and religious groups, and it will not progress with the exclusivity and suppression of the Taliban. According to them, without a diverse and people-centric political structure, the country will not find liberation from the current crisis. These politicians believe that the continuation of Taliban rule will lead to increased instability and the spread of extremism in the region. Participants urged regional countries and the United Nations to hold a conference on establishing a new political structure in Afghanistan, where all political and civilian forces can participate. The members of this Conference referred to engaging with the Taliban as appeasement and added that this approach has not yielded any results other than strengthening terrorism and increasing security threats over the past two years.
Moscow, last Thursday, hosted political opponents of the Taliban for the first time since the fall of the previous government. Russia had not previously invited Taliban opponents to the “Moscow Format” talks. Recently, the Institute for Justice in the World and the Russian Party of Freedom and Justice played host to political figures opposing the Taliban. Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), Mohammad Mohaqiq, a member of the leadership of the National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan, Fawzia Koofi, and Shukria Barakzai, former parliamentarians, along with several other political figures, participated in the Conference, sharing their perspectives and delivering speeches.
Shukria Barakzai, a former member of the Afghan parliament and former ambassador of Afghanistan to Norway, who participated in the Moscow Conference, spoke with Hasht-e Subh Daily. She stated that Russia’s support and hosting of these Conferences could, at the very least, provide an alternative to the Taliban regime through a process and create a conducive environment for intra-Afghan dialogues. According to Ms. Barakzai, despite being the first meeting of Taliban opponents in Moscow, the desires and goals of the speakers were similar, and no specific differences in their demands were observed. She pointed out that this indicates a general consensus on the issue of Afghanistan, even though the Taliban were not present as one of the involved parties.
Barakzai, emphasizing the continuation of these Conferences, describes countries’ engagement with the Taliban as hasty. She states, “I don’t think that hastiness in the type of interaction with the Taliban will bring good consequences for Afghanistan. Given what the Taliban have pursued in terms of politics today, there is a fallacy between fear and security. There is a significant difference between engagement and appeasement.”
On the other hand, Ms. Barakzai stresses that the activities of various groups in Afghanistan pose a threat to the region and the world, and appeasing the Taliban will not improve the situation. She says, “Unfortunately, countries are at a stage of appeasing the Taliban, but consider that this appeasement changes its form, and this extortion by the Taliban comes to an end, their blockade becomes clear, at that time, Afghanistan unwillingly becomes involved in a major war.”
Ms. Barakzai positively assesses the holding of the Moscow Conference and states, “Although Moscow, given its own challenging political situation post the Ukraine war, is engaging with the world, the power it holds in the United Nations Security Council and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should be utilized to address Afghanistan’s dilemma.”
Fawzia Koofi, a member of the former government’s peace negotiating team with the Taliban, stated in her speech at this Conference that the Taliban have failed to grasp the reality of Afghanistan. She emphasized that no movement can govern through pressure and the barrel of a gun. Koofi described the Taliban as good warriors but bad governors. Koofi, who was also a member of the peace negotiating team of the previous government, supported the civil resistance of women and girls, stating, “Today, a small group of Afghan women has challenged the Taliban to the extent that they have not only thrown these women into prison but also imprisoned their family members; a principle that has no place in any cultural, ethical, or human rights framework.”
However, Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), considers the organization of this Conference by Russia as a “brave and significant step.” He added that Afghanistan has plunged into a “terrifying abyss and a dark impasse” in the past two years. Mr. Massoud stated that the Taliban “have not adhered to any commitment except their agreement with the United States. Afghanistan has become a dark and ambiguous land for its people and a paradise for extremism, terrorism, and criminal groups.” He emphasized, “Under the Taliban’s dominance, Afghanistan lacks a constitution, legitimacy, a national flag, half of the population is deprived under the guise of religion, and a misinterpretation of Sharia has deprived them of all human rights. The economy is on the verge of collapse, and several million people have been forced to leave their homeland for a difficult and challenging life.”
The leader of the NRF added, “Afghanistan is being run by a medieval system and has turned into Talibanistan. The Taliban have taken away the sense of belonging from our people. They have made the people of Afghanistan captive in their own country, entangled in the ignorance and prejudice of the Taliban.”
Mr. Massoud stated that the world must acknowledge that Afghanistan is in a deep humanitarian, economic, and security crisis, and the solution is to create a large umbrella for all political forces and involve the people in determining their fate by launching a referendum to decide the future political system. He emphasized that Afghanistan should not be aligned with any of the major powers or military blocs.
The leader of the National Resistance Front added, “I emphasize that Afghanistan is not aligned with any of the world’s military powers or blocs. We want Afghanistan to pursue internal consensus and national stability, aligning itself with the region and the world, practicing diplomacy with everyone and enmity with no one.”
Mr. Massoud continued to label the recent report by the United Nations Special Representative as “weak and incomplete.” He stated that the report has weak points, and if approved, it will exacerbate the fragility of the situation in Afghanistan. According to him, the prioritization of Afghanistan’s issues in this report has been carried out without the necessary linkages, guarantee mechanisms, and world preconditions in dealing with the Taliban.
Still, in this Conference, Mohammad Mohaqiq spoke on behalf of the National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan. He stated that engaging with the Taliban in the past two years has not been beneficial, and if the Taliban continue their repressive and exclusionary policies, this council considers field combat as an option at the appropriate time.
Mr. Mohaqiq continued to describe the situation of the Hazaras in Afghanistan as “more tragic than all.” He added, “The Hazaras in Afghanistan simultaneously endure two forms of ethnic and religious discrimination.”
This member of the National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan emphasized that mass killings of Hazaras, under various names such as ISIS, continue in stadiums, mosques, and schools. He stated that the Taliban have imposed oppressive taxes in Hazara-populated areas, forcing many Hazaras to migrate from their central and northern regions.
On the other hand, Iran’s representative at the Moscow Conference expressed concern about the promotion and reinforcement of “Taliban’s ideological approaches” in religious schools. He mentioned that the Taliban’s expansion of religious schools promotes a particular interpretation of Islam, causing concern for Iran.
Simultaneously, alongside the political opponents of the Taliban expressing concerns about Afghanistan turning into a security black hole and facing severe economic, political, and security crises, the Collective Security Treaty Organization announced that terrorist groups are actively present in Afghanistan, and drug trafficking continues in the country.
