The Taliban claim to act in the best interest of the “people”, but their actions often involve imposing strict restrictions on citizens, particularly women, by denying them access to education, employment, and leisure activities. They also employ repression, violence, and even killings under the pretext of maintaining security. However, the Taliban do not seek the approval of the “people” for their actions, nor do they recognize any mechanisms that could provide such approval. If they were to accept these mechanisms, they would need to be referred to by a different name. The Taliban reject any form of representative government, where the legitimacy of the government is derived from the consent of the people. Instead, they aim to maintain their political dominance by controlling and shaping the population to their liking.
Nevertheless, lacking the support and recognition of the populace, the Taliban have formed a feeble, apathetic, bewildered, timid, and politically motivated entity that merely bears the superficial label of representing the people, but fails to truly embody their essence. Individuals have been stripped of their dignity and assigned value solely based on the Taliban’s desires. In reality, the primary identity bestowed upon the Taliban’s followers is that of a collective, referred to as Ummah or mass. They function as a group devoid of the ability to exercise their own agency and lacking the ambition to select their own representatives, instead passively accepting the dictates of those in power.
Indifferent and Watching
The Taliban individuals exhibit a sense of apathy and detachment towards their surroundings. This lack of concern and indifference has transformed them into a passive entity that remains unaffected by significant political changes, merely observing from the sidelines. Even in a field court setting, where hundreds of people are willing to trample over each other to witness the degrading treatment of fellow humans, this behavior does not signify the awakening of the Taliban people, but rather reflects their crudeness and moral decline. These individuals have been reduced to being slaves of the Taliban’s vulgar spectacle and mere spectators of the ensuing disaster. Their indifference towards any calamity serves as the foundation for the stability and endurance of the Taliban regime.
Submissive and Obedient
The population in Afghanistan under Taliban rule has become submissive and compliant. The more pressure the Taliban exerts, the more the people obey. Over the past two years, despite severe restrictions on citizens’ lives, there have been no significant protests capable of challenging the Taliban. This is concerning for us. Our citizens should not continue to retreat and abandon their strongholds in the face of the monstrous army. If people wish to survive and create a prosperous future for their country, they must learn from their mistakes and prepare for counteroffensives. Only through this approach can we undermine the Taliban’s efforts to revive their influence.
Desperate and Depressed
The rise in suicide rates, particularly among women, indicates a growing crisis that has worsened since the Taliban assumed power. Over the past two years, the combination of increased unemployment, poverty, and strict limitations on daily life has contributed to a heightened sense of hopelessness and depression. While despair and depression were prevalent during the previous government, the current Taliban regime has introduced additional factors that contribute to these feelings. Under the previous regime, individuals were not punished for activities such as listening to music, shaving, growing long hair, not attending group prayers, or not wearing a burqa.
During the Taliban regime, individuals do not experience depression and resort to suicide solely as a result of the rise in unemployment and poverty. Rather, they become disheartened and despondent due to the severe limitations imposed on their freedom to travel, dress according to their preferences, and reveal their faces in their constrained lives within Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. In the present era, restrictions on individuals’ lifestyles should be deemed both unacceptable and anxiety-inducing.
Disfigured
The members of the Taliban have undergone a significant change. This transformation has been influenced by the factors previously discussed. The individuals that the Taliban has managed to shape are characterized by timidity, depression, hopelessness, obedience, and indifference. They lack the enthusiasm and drive to actively participate in society and therefore hesitate to take political action against the current state of affairs, as they have become accustomed to living in a society that is typically plagued by disaster and crisis. These individuals are caught up in their daily routines and show no intention of rebuilding and rejuvenating themselves.
The Taliban has the ability to enact any decision that is against the interests of the people and humanity, claiming it is in accordance with the “will of the people,” and can easily enforce it. The Taliban is fully aware that their people lack the means to voice their opposition to any political actions. A group that lacks the ability to protest against oppressive systems cannot truly be considered as existing.
Over the past two years, the women of Afghanistan have demonstrated their refusal to conform to the Taliban’s oppressive policies through courageous resistance. Despite not yet gaining widespread support from the rest of the population, these women have done their best to reject the Taliban’s attempts at control. While the scale of women’s protests may be small, they have had a significant impact and increased the international community’s scrutiny of the Taliban. Currently, the main face of civil resistance against the Taliban regime is women. It seems that the women of Afghanistan are the only ones with a clear conscience to fight against this dictatorial and inhumane regime. If the rest of the Afghan population were to join this resistance, following the example set by women, the lifespan of the illegitimate Taliban regime, which lacks both internal and external legitimacy, would be considerably shorter than anticipated.
Read this article in Farsi here.