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Several articles in the latest issue of the Urdu-language magazine "Shariat," which is an official publication of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, i.e., the Afghan Taliban), advocate jihad as a strategy to counter Israel in Gaza and criticize the silence of most Islamic nations on the Palestinian issue.
The magazine says that despite their military capabilities, the indifference of Islamic nations to the struggle for the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque is a betrayal of Islam and the Muslim Ummah, and warns that it will have terrible consequences for the Islamic world.
The magazine's latest issue – Issue 132, Volume 11 – consists of 48 pages and is dated Rabi-us-Thani 1445, in the Hijri calendar, which corresponds with the lunar month beginning October 16, 2023. The Afghan Taliban's official website, alemarahurdu.af, posted a link to a PDF copy of the magazine for readers to download from Mega.nz.
On the same page, the magazine has shared a link to its Urdu-language account on X, formerly Twitter, Twitter.com/shariatmagazin, and a WhatsApp number (0093 78 463 5873) for reader interaction. The website has also published its own X account, Twitter.com/alemarahurdu1.
The magazine has a feature article titled: "The Zionist Barbarism And The Silence Of The Islamic World," which states: "A few days ago [on October 7, 2023], the mujahideen of Hamas in Palestine launched a major military operation against Israeli barbarity under the title of 'Storm Al-Aqsa.' On the first day of the operation, they launched massive attacks on Israeli targets from three fronts (land, air and sea) in which hundreds of Israeli soldiers were killed, wounded and captured..."
The article is written by Saif Al-Adil Ahrar, a Taliban writer. It says that Israel responded with brutal bombings in Gaza, causing civilian casualties and a humanitarian crisis. "To cover up their lost reputation and military defeat, the Israeli military has launched a new series of brutal bombings of civilian homes, hospitals, and educational centres in the Gaza Strip and some other areas, as a result of which hundreds of civilians, including women and children, were injured and martyred," it states.
The article continues: "The world was stunned by the magnitude and speed of this attack, and major international political and military observers made various analyses about it and called it a shameful defeat for Israel, and especially for its intelligence agencies," the author says, and criticizes the silence of most Islamic countries about the Israeli attacks in Gaza. He calls for unity to address the Palestinian issue diplomatically, politically, and militarily, adding: "The Islamic world has once again remained silent, as in the past, except Afghanistan, Iran, and a few other Islamic countries."
Saif Al-Adil Ahrar also writes: "Many countries in the Islamic world now have armed forces equipped with new technologies and vast military and economic resources. The long struggle of the Palestinians is for the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is sacred to all Muslims. Everyone must defend it. Despite this, the silence and indifference of the Islamic world is a great betrayal of Islam and Muslims, and its result will be terrible for Islamic world."
Another significant article, titled: "Helping The People Of Palestine, But How?" discusses several issues affecting the Muslim world. First, the piece perceives a lack of faith, a dearth of attention to Islamic principles, and insufficient engagement in politics, economics, society, and jihad. The article asserts that these weaknesses have led to suffering and chaos in the Islamic world. The article then discusses four key problems affecting the Muslim world, attributing them to perceived weaknesses in faith, political engagement, and economic governance.
The first issue is the "implementation of the Islamic system," it says, emphasizing the need for the complete implementation of Islam, at least in Islamic countries. The second issue, it says, is "political instability." The article says that Muslims are somewhat lacking in leadership, due to the absence of "Khilafah [caliph]." The Muslim world displays a practical picture of helplessness which is very sad, the article asserts.
The third issue is "jihad." The article quotes Prophet Muhammad emphasizing the importance of "engaging in jihad." It suggests that neglecting jihad results in a weakening of faith and the risk of succumbing to worldly pursuits, thereby inviting humiliation.
The article then turns to the fourth issue: "economic hardship" in the Muslim world. It says that "the world of Islam is suffering from financial hardships due to worldly and luxurious rulers, to such an extent that people are forced to commit suicide."
The article argues that jihad, with its all-consuming requirements, is a "quick remedy" for various issues in the Muslim world, including implementing Islam and achieving political stability. Historical examples, like "the establishment of Dar-ul-Islam [the Islamic state under Prophet Muhammad] in Medina," are cited to highlight the positive outcomes of jihad.
Highlighting the role of jihad in significant victories such as the "liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque," the defeat of the former Soviet Union in Afghanistan in 1989, the destruction of the statues of Buddha in the Bamyan province of Afghanistan, the article states: "It is the same jihad which led to the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan [in August 2021] and it is this jihad which contains the secret of Palestine's liberation and survival."
The magazine's table of contents page.
Another lead article is titled: "The Historic Battle Of Al-Aqsa Storm And The Likely Scenario Of The Future." It discusses the impact of the "Al-Aqsa Storm" operation launched by Hamas on October 7 against Israel. "Al-Aqsa Storm operation completely changed the political landscape of the Middle East," the article states, and lists the strategic achievements of Hamas, emphasizing that the operation marked the first time since 1948 that Palestinian resistance had achieved significant success against Israel.
"After the Saif Al-Quds operation of 2021, Israel and the countries of the region had become concerned that the resistance by Hamas in the Gaza Strip was a constant threat to them, but the way to stop it was not difficult for them. They were proud of their military bases in Gaza, and did not imagine that the Palestinian resistance would accomplish such a feat. The Israeli government and all its supporters admitted failure," the piece states.
According to the article, Israel is actively attempting to compel the residents of Gaza to relocate to the Egyptian Sinai with the aim of facilitating the occupation of Gaza. "Israel is trying to force Gazans to migrate to the Egyptian Sinai so that it can occupy Gaza, and [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu wants to use this opportunity to create a Greater Israel. [U.S. Secretary of State Antony] Blinken, who came to the Middle East on the second day of the war, requested Egypt, Jordan, and other countries in the region to accept the 2.2 million refugees from Gaza, but there has been no result so far," it says.
The article likens the current Israeli strategy to compel the inhabitants of Gaza to relocate to the south to the tactics employed during the 2014 war ["Operation Protective Edge"], when Israeli forces entered northern Gaza. "Israel is trying to force the residents of Gaza to migrate from the north to the south. It wants to repeat the experience of the 2014 war, when it entered northern Gaza, resulting in the martyring of 2,000 Palestinian civilians and the killing of 66 of its [Israeli] soldiers."
An editorial titled, "Unprecedented Zionist Terrorism And The Surprising Helplessness Of The World Before The Terrorists" strongly criticizes Western powers for supporting what the piece calls the "massacre of oppressed Muslims" in Gaza by Israel. It says: "All the anti-Islamic Western powers supporting Israel, under American leadership, are hell-bent on massacring the oppressed Muslims of Gaza. Israel's barbaric bombardment in Gaza is more intense than before."
It accuses Israel of conducting a "barbaric bombardment," surpassing the severity of other conflicts. The article criticizes the silence of international organizations, stating that "human rights abuses continue to occur in Gaza." It highlights the global protests against Israel's actions and says that Western powers supporting Israel are acting with questionable motives.
Following are the titles of the articles in the magazine:
1. The Unprecedented Zionist Terrorism And The Surprising Helplessness Of The World Before The Terrorists
2. The Message Of Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund To The People Of Pakistan
3. A Conversation With Imamudddin Ahmadi, Spokesman Of The Ministry Of Transport And Civil Aviation
4. The Appointment Of Representative For The Solution Of Problems Faced By Hindu And Sikh Communities In The Capital Kabul
5. The Historic Battle Of Al-Aqsa Storm And The Likely Scenario Of The Future
6. The Record Performance Of Afghani – Declared The Third Best Currency
7. Russia's Interest In Investment In Afghan Railway
8. The Start Of Direct Flights From Balkh To Jeddah
9. Qosh Tepa Canal – The Start Of A Bright Future
10. The Impact Of Tourism On Economy And Opportunities Available In Afghanistan
11. The Accessibility To Chabahar Port And Its Importance
12. The Beginning Of Construction Of Thousands Of Houses For The People Affected By The Herat Earthquake
13. Afghan Honors
14. The Zionist Barbarism And The Silence Of The Islamic World
15. Helping The People Of Palestine, But How?
16. The Pilgrims' 12 Million Dirhams
17. Prophet Noah, Peace Be Upon Him, Canaan And Us
18. Hazrat Habsa, Daughter Of Umar – A Woman Who Loved Education And Research
19. The Islamic Emirate's International Political Engagements And Activities
20. Defense – Law And Order
21. Important Declaration
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