During their two-year rule in Afghanistan, the Taliban have considered the establishment of “national security” as a significant accomplishment. They regularly request interested countries to invest in Afghanistan, emphasizing that the conditions are fully prepared, with no ongoing military conflict and the Taliban having complete control over the country. Even Western supporters and defenders of the Taliban frequently highlight this “achievement,” and important international institutions have concluded that the long and bloody warfare in Afghanistan has come to an end. However, is security solely defined by the absence of warfare? Undoubtedly, Afghanistan is currently not experiencing sustained and widespread military conflict. The Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) and the Afghanistan National Resistance Front (NRF) have yet to engage in a direct war against the Taliban. This indicates that we are not currently witnessing a large-scale military conflict. However, the extensive promotion of this “achievement” by the Taliban is misleading. Furthermore, discussing the end of the war actually diminishes the conflict to a military confrontation, concealing the countless daily crimes committed by the Taliban.
The Taliban is engaging in daily arrests, torture, and assassinations of former military and government personnel, civil activists, journalists, and women who protest. They have imposed severe restrictions on the lives of citizens, effectively waging an ongoing war against the people of Afghanistan. On one side, there is a government with military resources, while on the other side, there are unarmed, vulnerable, and desperate individuals. As long as the Taliban remains in power, this conflict will escalate rather than diminish. Over time, the restrictions on citizens’ lives may not only persist but potentially intensify. The public’s resistance to the Taliban’s elimination, whether through open or silent means, will either continue as it is or potentially increase.
Moreover, the Taliban’s control over Afghanistan has worsened the humanitarian crisis, causing unemployment and poverty to escalate even further with each restrictive measure implemented by the Taliban. The rise in unemployment and poverty, combined with the imposition of restrictions on all aspects of citizens’ lives, has heightened feelings of fear, depression, anxiety, destitution, and overall misery, leading to an increase in suicide rates, particularly among women. The significant increase in female suicides following the Taliban’s rise to power serves as a clear indication of the magnitude of the disaster in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. In such circumstances, it is impossible to discuss establishing military security, let alone ensuring security in all its forms.
Understanding the Complexity and Multidimensionality of Security
The Taliban, who approach even the most intricate cases with a simplistic and narrow-minded perspective rooted in rural and tribal traditions, hold the belief that security has been achieved following the conclusion of the military conflict in the country. This viewpoint is shared by the majority of the population. Even the previous government incorporated its army, police, and national security forces under the umbrella term of Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). The Taliban regime clearly demonstrates a reductionist approach to security. However, security is a multifaceted concept that extends far beyond the cessation of war. It encompasses intricate dimensions that cannot be equated with the mere end of hostilities. This oversimplification of security perpetuates a common understanding of things and concepts, which unfortunately pervades the Afghan predicament.
Security encompasses various dimensions, including political, cultural, economic, social, and psychological aspects. These dimensions are interconnected, and the weakness of one dimension can lead to vulnerabilities in others. For instance, when military security is fragile, it also affects political security, and consequently, the stability of cultural, economic, and social aspects. A prime example of this can be observed in Afghanistan during the Taliban regime. The country is currently facing severe economic crisis, widespread disaster, and rampant corruption. Unemployment and poverty rates are escalating rapidly, and the Taliban’s imposition of restrictions on businesses and citizens’ lives only exacerbates the issue, further contributing to unemployment. Without foreign aid, the economic crisis will likely worsen, potentially leading to increased societal unrest and individuals resorting to harmful actions in order to survive.
From a political perspective, Afghanistan is currently under an autocratic monoethnic regime that disregards even the most fundamental mechanisms of popular legitimacy, dismissing them as “Western” and “infidel”. In the previous government, which was supported by Western powers, the people had a somewhat symbolic presence and the government occasionally sought their support to gain legitimacy. However, in the current Taliban Emirate, there is no perceived need to consult or involve the people. The people have been marginalized in the political arena, replaced by the concept of Ummah. Unfortunately, the Taliban’s Ummah appears to be unresponsive and oblivious to the needs and desires of the nation, as expressed by Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s Supreme Leader. The only group that continues to resist and refuses to conform to the Ummah ideology are the women of Afghanistan. They have not yet succumbed to the Ummah ideology because they are alive and demonstrating remarkable resilience in their resistance.
Over the past two years, the Taliban have resisted both internal and external pressures to establish a government that includes all factions, showing little compliance with the reasonable demands of the international community. The Taliban argue that their current government, which represents a single ethnic group, is already comprehensive and inclusive, and they are unwilling to accept foreign ethnic leaders who they perceive as corrupt. If the aim of forming an inclusive government is to accommodate these corrupt leaders, then we should agree with the Taliban. These individuals, who have taken advantage of opportunities for personal gain over the past two decades, disregarding the collective interests of the people, should not be given a role in power again. Instead, they should be held accountable in a fair court of law, serving as an example for future generations. However, the Taliban’s insistence on not forming an all-inclusive government, under the pretext of rejecting this corrupt group, is both hypocritical and unfounded.
The establishment of a truly inclusive government entails more than just accepting corrupt leaders on the run. Granting these individuals a role in the future government hinders the formation of an inclusive government. It is important to note that ethnic leaders do not solely represent their tribes; they are primarily businesspeople rather than true leaders. If the Taliban genuinely intends to create a comprehensive government, it can easily do so by consulting the people and ensuring that all ethnic groups have a genuine share in the government, rather than a superficial and manipulative one. The Taliban’s refusal to form a truly inclusive government under the pretext of not working with corrupt leaders is due to their conflicting ideology, which opposes power distribution and pluralism. Their centrist and totalitarian thinking contradicts the principles of decentralization and fair power distribution. If the Taliban were to embrace decentralization and fair power distribution, it would signify a fundamental change in their nature, warranting a different label.
From a societal perspective, individuals have encountered extremely basic and stringent limitations on their lives, resulting in a significant decline in hope for the future. Consequently, fear, anxiety, and depression have become prevalent among the population. This indicates a substantial decrease in the mental well-being of citizens, with fewer individuals experiencing happiness. A recent Gallup survey provides clear evidence of the profound extent of the ongoing catastrophe in Afghanistan.
Making Lives Security-Based
The Taliban is willing to establish “security” through various methods, including the indiscriminate killing and imprisonment of citizens, forced displacement, and imposing strict limitations on people’s lives, particularly women. The Taliban’s ability to provide security is arguably its greatest flaw, as it shows no tolerance for any action that disrupts security. This is evident in their use of excessive violence and harsh repression against both military and civilian activities. The group has even brutally suppressed peaceful protests by women.
The previous government had a significant vulnerability in terms of security, which was not addressed and persisted until the end. The Taliban group was well aware of this weakness and consistently took advantage of it. The escalation of terrorist attacks, coupled with the widening scope of direct conflict, ultimately resulted in the downfall of the previous government. As a result, the Taliban place great importance on security and are willing to resort to war crimes in order to neutralize any perceived threats.
In addition to suppressing rebellions and opposing military movements, the Taliban group has implemented strict security measures that greatly impact daily life. These measures have resulted in significant restrictions on travel between provinces, with citizens being subjected to multiple inquiries and thorough checks of their bodies, belongings, and even mobile phones. Even within the cities and villages where citizens reside permanently, they are not safe from the intimidating presence of the Taliban. The group regularly interrogates individuals to ensure they have participated in congregational prayer and adhered to the Prophet’s teachings in their appearance and attire. Furthermore, the Taliban monitors people’s activities on social media platforms and takes punitive actions against those who criticize their regime through posts or comments. Given these oppressive policing conditions, it is difficult for anyone to feel secure or immune.
The Illusion of Security
Based on our previous statements, it can be concluded that we currently reside in a state that can be described as pseudo-security. This means that the concept of security has been reduced to a superficial level, lacking true substance. In simpler terms, pseudo-security is an artificial form of security that oversimplifies the notion to solely focus on the prevention of war and military conflicts, disregarding other important aspects. Consequently, real security has been replaced by a military order. In this state of pseudo-security, individuals are rendered voiceless and subservient. They no longer possess a genuine sense of identity, as they have been overshadowed by a collective entity known as the Ummah. Unfortunately, this Ummah lacks knowledge about democracy and human civilization, as its sole purpose is to enforce loyalty and allegiance.
In a state of pseudo-security, there exists a highly stringent security environment that leaves citizens feeling unsafe, helpless, and burdened. These weary and vulnerable individuals, lacking the motivation to resist, become easy targets for exploitation. As the pseudo-security regime encounters no opposition from its exhausted and disillusioned subjects, it grows more aggressive and power-hungry, taking larger strides to solidify its control. The rights of the populace are systematically stripped away, further ensnaring them in a web of fear-based politics with no means of escape. As the rights of the masses diminish, the rulers, who already possess significant power, influence, and privileges, see their own rights and privileges expand. In the absence of resistance and protest, those in power govern the people with greater recklessness and fearlessness, while simultaneously increasing their demands and expectations from the population with each passing day.
In the realm of pseudo-security, the replication of death is not the sole occurrence; rather, even life itself is rendered in a multitude. This existence is characterized by desolation and lack of vitality, as its sole purpose is to blindly adhere to and comply with the ruler who assumes god-like authority, disregarding the desires and welfare of the populace.
In quasi-security, the decrease in crime levels is not attributed to the provision of basic necessities by the ruling regime and the satisfaction of the people with its functioning. Instead, it is a result of the deliberate imposition of severe fear by the authoritarian regime, which intimidates individuals from engaging in wrongdoing. In the Taliban Emirate, the punishment for theft is extremely harsh, either through public execution or amputation of the hand in a field court. If theft rates are low, the criminals are suppressed and moved around the city. This treatment of individuals is prevalent in a country where notions of dignity and pride are considered superstitious and ignorant. Similar situations exist in other countries, but in Afghanistan, the combination of pride, tribal madness, and patriarchy has created something peculiar. However, this does not imply that there are no crimes in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
In our country, there is a lack of unbiased media that can deliver news freely. All forms of media, especially news outlets, are subject to censorship. The only exception is media outlets operating outside the country, which may occasionally publish uncensored information about the harsh reality if it is accessible. The Taliban regime, like any other authoritarian system, understands that if it were to diminish the fear and censorship imposed on the people, it would be the first to suffer the consequences. Therefore, the Taliban relies on intensifying policies of fear, exclusion, and censorship as their primary means of maintaining control.
Read this article in Farsi here.
