In a recent announcement, the Taliban declared that the use of political party names in Afghanistan is a crime, and no political party has the right to operate. The leadership of political parties within the Ministry of Justice has been abolished, leaving no other political currents besides the Taliban and their supporters to freely and officially engage in activities. Essentially, the political party market became stagnant when the Taliban seized control of the country two years ago, causing the collapse of the republic. It means that upon ascending to power, the Taliban effectively pronounced the end of political parties and even prohibited their minimal presence in Afghanistan. Whether during their initial rule, throughout the twenty-year war against the republic and Western forces led by the United States, or after their return on August 15, 2021, the Taliban have repeatedly proven to be staunchly anti-party and unwilling to bring any progressive change to their fundamentalist and regressive ideologies. Not only in this regard but in all aspects, the Taliban have acted catastrophically, prompting one to resort to the well-known adage of “the former gravedigger is well remembered,” which people occasionally use to describe their dire circumstances. When the present situation worsens to its utmost, people even yearn for the past miseries because, in those days, citizens at least had some modest means and opportunities to survive, which they lack now.
Looking at the Taliban’s reactionary and ultra-conservative politics, you can see a stark contrast against the backdrop of the pseudo-republic and its bankrupt and corrupt political parties. In those days, there was at least a semblance of democracy, and people had even small grounds for breathing, which are nowhere to be found in the Taliban emirate. It’s a misfortune that never leaves the heads of the Afghan citizens. After every short or long hiatus of practicing democracy, we find ourselves plunged back into the same quagmire we had temporarily escaped. After twenty years of practicing a highly flawed and corruption-riddled democracy, according to Dust, the people of Afghanistan have once again donned the “dirty shirt of the past.” It seems only theocracy resonates with the nature of this country, while other inclinations and ideologies come and go as temporary fashions. For others, there’s no option but to flee or learn how to live with contempt in this country, as there’s nothing else left.
In the Taliban emirate, engaging in political activity is not a natural human right. Let the Taliban leaders deal with politics and focus on securing bread so you don’t go hungry. After all, what does a person engulfed in poverty and misery have to do with politics? This is the work of those who have no concern for bread and have their stomachs full, enjoying peace of mind to pursue political work. This common and reactionary view of politics had become prevalent in Afghanistan even when the Taliban had not yet returned to power. People used to say that politics is for the wealthy and embellishes them! However, the Taliban have put a complete stop to this and reserved politics solely for themselves. No opposing force should exist, and no one has the right to object to their disastrous fate. This means that even politics in the conventional sense has no chance, let alone politics in its true liberating sense, which is more costly and perilous than other periods.
In an era where we must speak of post-party politics, the highly reactionary performance of the Taliban leads us back to partisan politics and revives it—a politics deeply entrenched in crisis, offering no liberating discourse. On one hand, the Taliban exploit the crisis of political parties for their survival, while on the other hand, by imposing their extremely primitive interpretation of politics, they even attempt to whitewash the tarnished image of partisan politics. In other words, despite possibly paving the way for a new style of political action, the Taliban, with their ultra-conservative and regressive actions, contribute to the revival of partisan politics.
It’s not irrelevant that the more the Taliban tighten the noose around parties and political movements within Afghanistan, the more political movements outside the country take shape, adopting an NGO approach and project-based activities rather than having depth and political maturity. This kind of institution-building continues the political trade that flourished during the twenty-year presence of Americans in Afghanistan, enriching many, but severely harming the people. Thus, this paradox—not so surprising—that while benefiting from the crisis of political parties, the Taliban are aiding in its culmination, is one of the destructive dimensions of the Taliban’s political power.
In such a situation, we need a new interpretation of politics because politics, in the sense that republics and emirates envision, has reached its endpoint and can no longer fulfill the political aspirations of those who have no trust in ideologically biased groups and corrupt political parties. We must defend authentic emancipatory politics, which fundamentally involves resistance and protest against injustice. Currently, Afghan women are embodying a raw and rudimentary version of this type of politics in action. They have shown us that politics means resisting religious tyranny. However, feminine resistance has not yet reached a level of political maturity where it can fully implement emancipatory politics. Nevertheless, feminine resistance has taken the first step towards implementing emancipatory politics, and it is hoped that it will open up broader horizons for the people. By fully implementing this type of politics, we can both save the country from the chronic and pervasive crisis it is engulfed in and also liberate the concept of politics from its notoriety and corruption.
