No country has officially recognized the Islamic Emirate of the Taliban, as it is difficult to convince the world that the Taliban are a legitimate government due to their violent history. Even those who helped the Taliban gain power have refrained from officially recognizing them as a government. For example, the U.S. and the E.U. representatives are very cautious when discussing dealings with the Taliban. This caution and restraint is the personal opinion of those representatives, who feel ashamed to have to sit down at the negotiation table with the Taliban. However, in reality, the governments they represent do accept the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, and interact with them accordingly by offering advice, giving money, and engaging in normal negotiations. They even refer to the Taliban regime as a “caretaker government“ and equate it to Afghanistan. Some Afghan civil activists and foreign representatives actively support normalizing international relations and interacting with the Taliban. They argue that pressuring the Taliban will ultimately put the people under pressure, as they are the de facto government and a reality. However, those who view the Taliban as a social phenomenon produced by the evolution of Afghan society should understand that the Taliban are actually a regional and international project. Do they understand the long-term harm that could be caused to Afghan society if the Taliban are accepted as a “social reality“? Or can this regime end the people‘s suffering if the world normalizes its relations with them?
Despite the lobbying of certain groups, the majority of the world agrees that the Taliban are a “force for bad“. They are seen as Bedouin, radical, bigoted, misogynistic and uncivilized, so some countries are already preparing to deter this negative force. Even those who interact with them and give them money view them as a tool in a larger regional and international game, but a very dangerous one. Therefore, equating Afghanistan with this unpopular temporary political tool is not realistic. Pressure and sanctions on the Taliban will help to bring about liberation by shortening the life of this regime. We urge the world to distinguish the people of Afghanistan from the Taliban, and to stop normalizing their relationship and funding of the Taliban. Giving money to buy freedom for people or easing some of their draconian rules is certainly impractical and only gives false hope to the public. This has been tried many times in the past, such as in peace negotiations, the Doha agreement, an inclusive government, and the false hope that Taliban 2.0 is different. We have compromised and retreated to the point that simple activities such as going to school, singing, going to the park, or even taking a bath have become unattainable dreams for millions of our fellow citizens.
