The Taliban are a familiar and widespread name among the Pashtuns. Before the Taliban bore arms and became involved in sinister and vile intelligence conspiracies, they were a simple and integral part of this community. At that time, the Taliban were well aware that they would sit at people’s tables in mosques and live under the wings of the community’s kindness and compassion for the rest of their lives. These early members of the Taliban, who had not yet taken up arms or attended schools controlled by intelligence agencies, used to knock on doors only to collect alms (dry bread), not to threaten, kill, or terrorize. They were seen as harmless elements of society and were even mentioned in Pashto literature and traditional poems and “Landees” (a form of Pashto poetry). However, the Taliban did not remain harmless. They exploited the trust of the people, stepping into the arena of politics and intelligence conspiracies, and for the first time, turned their guns on their own people. While it is clear that the Taliban originate from the Pashtun community, and the majority of the Taliban are Pashtun, it is also undeniable how much harm they have inflicted on the Pashtun people and the enmity they harbor toward Pashtun history, culture, and respected figures.
If the Taliban are stained by atrocities such as the Yakawlang massacre in Bamiyan, the burning of vineyards in the north, and the killing of thousands in suicide attacks and other crimes, they are also responsible for the destruction of an entire generation of Pashtuns. In their efforts to spread their ideology among the Pashtuns, the Taliban have killed many tribal leaders and intellectual youths. During the republic era, the National Security Council published a book titled “Thousands of Crimes”, documenting the Taliban’s killing of tribal leaders and intellectual youths, most notably in Kandahar. It is evident that if the Taliban had not dismantled the core structure of the Pashtun society, they would not have been able to dominate the community.
Over the past two decades, the Taliban have destroyed most schools, roads, and public infrastructure in Pashtun-populated areas. This is because they gained a foothold in these areas, removed important figures, and caused devastation they could not replicate in other regions. However, it is not that the Pashtuns remained silent against the Taliban. The first popular uprising against the Taliban occurred in the Andar district of Ghazni, but due to poor management and a lack of support from the then-government, only a handful of the six hundred brave youths survived, which dampened the spirit of resistance in other regions.
Now that three years have passed since the Taliban’s return to power, sporadic reports of resistance against the Taliban emerge from non-Pashtun areas. However, there is less visible activity against the Taliban in Pashtun areas, which has its reasons. In non-Pashtun regions, resisting the Taliban is easier as they do not have much intelligence about the locals. But in Pashtun areas, over the past twenty years, the Taliban have infiltrated deeply. In these regions, even in the smallest villages, multiple Taliban members have comprehensive information about each resident, keeping entire families under surveillance. Given the Taliban’s current strategy, where they do not hesitate to crush opposition, and in some cases imprison the wives of dissenting men as retaliation, few in the Pashtun regions, which are still bound by tribal and traditional structures, dare to pay such a high price for resistance.
Currently, the Taliban are tactically exploiting the Pashtuns in some areas. Speaking predominantly in Pashto, they create a divide between Pashtuns and non-Pashtuns in certain regions, doing so deliberately and systematically to manipulate the ethnic sentiments of some Pashtuns and make it seem as though they support them. There are numerous examples where the Taliban have sided with nomads (Kuchis) in conflicts with local communities, while simultaneously extorting them. In this regard, Mullah Hibatullah, the Taliban leader, has warned his fighters during his visits to different provinces to avoid ethnic prejudice. He does this to give the impression that ethnic behaviors in some areas are against his orders, but in reality, this is not the case. The Taliban leaders deliberately engage in these actions because they fear that if armed opposition rises in Pashtun areas, their emirate, which is already intolerable in other regions, will quickly collapse.
What Approach Should Pashtuns Take Against the Taliban?
As previously mentioned, opposing the Taliban in rural areas comes with great costs. So, what type of struggle should be chosen against them? So far, the Taliban have responded to any peaceful protest or opposition with violence, leaving armed struggle as the only viable option for the people. Not only in Pashtun areas but even in other regions, taking up arms against the Taliban has caused many problems for the residents. There have been many instances in Parwan and Panjsher where, after members of active fronts attacked the Taliban in a village, the Taliban surrounded the entire village, imprisoning and torturing its residents.
It seems that the active fronts against the Taliban have realized they cannot operate with such vulnerability in mountainous areas. Recently, these fronts have shifted their armed activities to urban centers, directly under the Taliban’s noses. Guerrilla operations against the Taliban in cities have significantly immobilized them. For instance, in recent days, Taliban fighters have been targeted almost every night, and the attackers easily escape the area. In Kabul, such attacks have forced the Taliban to reduce the number of checkpoints in the city, yet they are still targeted nightly. Therefore, targeting the Taliban in urban areas is the best way to pressure them to accept the people’s demands, as it has already yielded positive results. This strategy also serves as a low-cost and effective method for armed Pashtun opposition.
Consequences of Pashtun Inaction Against the Taliban
If some Pashtuns remain in the illusion and optimism that the Taliban will listen to the people’s demands and bring reforms, the past three decades have shown that no one within the Taliban who has reformed can still be considered a Taliban member. If the Pashtuns remain inactive and do not take action against the Taliban, not only will the current generation but several future generations be raised under the banner of terror. The responsibility for both the country and the spread of terrorism in the entire region will fall upon them. If the Taliban’s rule continues, thousands of Pashtun children, currently being indoctrinated in Taliban-run jihadist schools, will grow into major terrorists, prepared, as Mullah Hibatullah has stated, for “global jihad,” which will not only engulf Afghanistan but also set the entire region on fire with terrorism.
You can read the Persian version of this analysis here:
