On July 12, 13, and 14, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) published three statements that reveal the Taliban's ideological thinking on how they would like to run the government in Afghanistan. The first statement, issued on July 12, accused the government of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as well as the U.S. "invaders" of implementing an education system that, in the Taliban's view, removes Afghans from jihad and shari'a.
The second statement, on July 13, was published after three of the Taliban's martyrdom-seeking jihadis attacked an Afghan intelligence unit in Samangan province. It noted that the three belonged to the Islamic Emirate's "Martyrdom Battalion." Such attacks by the Taliban have continued even after the Doha agreement of February 29, 2020.
The Doha agreement, signed between the U.S. and the Taliban, envisages that the Taliban will share power as a result of the intra-Afghan talks, which are yet to begin, and presumably shape the contours of the Afghan government and military along shari'a lines. The July 13 statement says that "the political and diplomatic efforts of the Islamic Emirate do not in any way shape or form mean" that the Taliban will abandon their path.
The July 14 statement confirms that the Islamic Emirate continues to view the Doha agreement as favorable to its ideological objectives and reminds the U.S. that the Taliban have desisted from carrying out any attack on Americans in Afghanistan, though it simultaneously accuses American pilots of flying Afghan planes to launch attacks on Afghan civilians.
Following is the July 12 statement:
"The War Against Our Religious Values And Customs In Afghanistan Began With The Arrival Of The [American] Invaders And Their Supporters"
"The war against our religious values and customs in Afghanistan began with the arrival of the [American] invaders and their supporters and in parallel with efforts to impose non-Islamic culture, values and moralities upon our people. A key driver for promoting and propagating ideals and beliefs is the field of education. Anti-religious ideas have been spread in most foreign countries through educational books and the minds of innocent children infected with such viruses.
"But since the religious awareness of our people is sharp and their Islamic fervor alive, a gradual method was chosen towards perverting their curriculum. Anti-religious elements initially threw away all references to jihad, shari'a, Islamic governance, Hudood [Islamic criminal law] and other such topics and replaced them with irreligious alien terms.
"From the day the current head of Arg [the Presidential Palace] Ashraf Ghani, raised with a secular worldview, came to power he began working towards expanding and promoting anti-religious culture in every aspect of life. Just as he is the lead cultivator of inter-mixing [such as men and women working together], indecency, corruption and other immoral actions, he also made it his target to separate the younger generation from their Islamic traditions.
"Under his rule a studies and research center – instead of investigating and focusing on important issues affecting Afghanistan – has made it a mission to go after religious subjects and terms found in school curriculums in an effort to remove them from books under the guise of stopping the spread of radicalism."
"The Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan Condemns This Satanic Conspiracy Against Religious Subjects In The Strongest Words"
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"Last year, this [unidentified] center supported by key regime officials made the subject of Islamic culture in higher education curricula a target of their bigoted propaganda, and this year designated terms such as faith, Islam, Allah, Koran, praise, glorification, invocation, Islamic beliefs and ethical values mentioned in school curriculum as contributing factors of radicalism and extremism.
"We understand that such insolence against principles of Islam can only happen with the support of irreligious officials in power because under no circumstance can such an insignificant center ever conjure the courage to attack religious values in the land of Islam and Muslims so audaciously.
"In our view highlighting religious subjects in school curriculums and then making various accusations and false statements about them is only a small part of the larger assault that has taken place in various forms under the occupation. Our believing nation, noble scholars, spiritual leaders and academics must not remain silent in the face of such plots but must oppose them with any means necessary.
"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan condemns this satanic conspiracy against religious subjects in the strongest words and considers it a blatant violation and disrespect towards our people. At the same time, we remind those behind these plots that such efforts were also undertaken here [in Afghanistan] previously but Allah Almighty doomed them to failure. History has shown that the enemies of religion only dug graves for their own selves and their [i.e. the communist USSR's] political existence with such unwarranted actions and all their efforts were crushed by the mujahid response of the believing nation."
Following is the July 13 statement:
"The Islamic Emirate Is Committed To Its Obligations Within The Limits Of Islam And Shall Take To Task All Who Kill And Oppress Our Muslim Compatriots"
"Three heroes from the Martyrdom Battalion carried out a thunderous assault earlier today on the satanic intelligence nest in Samangan province. The martyrdom seekers successfully managed to penetrate the most secure enemy site before calmly implementing justice on murderous criminals. Over twenty Kabul administration remnants and those obstructing establishment of an Islamic government were killed while three champions [i.e., the Taliban suicide bombers] of the Ummah also attained the lofty status of martyrdom.
"The enemies of Islam must understand that the political and diplomatic efforts of the Islamic Emirate do not in any way shape or form mean that the stooge Kabul administration can carry out atrocities and bombings throughout Afghanistan while expecting and demanding the Islamic Emirate show compassion, flexibility and end the fight against these injustices.
"The Islamic Emirate is committed to its obligations within the limits of Islam and shall take to task all who kill and oppress our Muslim compatriots. Those involved in the spilling of blood and persecution of our innocent countrymen will most definitely be brought to justice and penalized for their crimes.
"Peaceful and diplomatic struggle in pursuit of finding a resolution is an internationally excepted [means: accepted] principle but when the opposition misuses these peaceful efforts as a tactic to pursue their interests by trying to mislead people and make the mujahideen negligent, it becomes an obligation upon the mujahideen to correct the course by talking to the enemy in a language they understand.
"Today's attack on an intelligence nest in Samangan province carries a message to those who do not understand the language of diplomacy and try to secure their personal interests through childish play of drawing a line and rubbing off the previous to return back to the correct path and end their stubbornness."
Following is the July 14 statement:
"The Issue Of Blacklisting Of The Leaders Of The Islamic Emirate [By The United Nations] Remaining Unresolved Is Also A Cause For Concern"
"As 135-days since signing of the Doha agreement between the United States of America and Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan [on February 29, 2020,] come to a close, we would like to communicate the following points:
"– It is a welcome and positive step that the United States and its foreign allies have reduced the number of their forces and vacated five bases in accordance with their commitments under the agreement.
"– The delay in the completion of the first condition of the agreement – the prisoner release process – in this period is very unfortunate due to it becoming a cause for the delay of intra-Afghan negotiations and comprehensive peace. There should currently have been even more prisoners released alongside the provided list.
"– The issue of blacklisting of the leaders of the Islamic Emirate [by the United Nations] remaining unresolved is also a cause for concern that must be given serious consideration and practical steps taken.
"– No attacks have been recorded against foreign forces by the mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate following the agreement which shows that the Islamic Emirate is committed to the contents of the agreement."
"The Islamic Emirate Again Calls On America And Related Sides That The Swift And Complete Implementation Of The Doha Agreement Is In The Interest Of Everyone"
"– It is unfortunate that although there is an explicit provision in the agreement that halts all types of military movements outside active combat zones, the American forces and their internal [i.e. Afghan] supporters over the course of these 135 days have frequently carried out bombings in non-combat zones, offensive operations by the Kabul administration forces have been supported and Kabul administration aircraft have been flown by American pilots to carry out airstrikes against civilians, mujahideen and public infrastructure.
"– In just the past ten days, the Americans and their internal supporters have repeatedly carried out drone strikes and bombings in Logar, Badghis, Maidan Wardak, Ghani, Zabul, Uruzgan, Helmand and Kandahar, and carried out two raids. These all are blatant violations of the agreement and a deliberate attempt at provoking the mujahideen towards large-scale attacks. The Islamic Emirate condemns all these attacks and demands its immediate suspension.
"– Yesterday's attack in Samangan [on July 13] and similar escalation of violence in other areas are a reaction to the launch of operations by the Kabul administration, ruthless attacks on civilians like in Sangin district of Helmand and the violations committed by the American forces. These cannot be classified as actions but as reactions.
"– The Islamic Emirate again calls on America and related sides that the swift and complete implementation of the Doha agreement is in the interest of everyone. This opportunity must sincerity [sic] be taken advantage of, the process not obstructed nor delayed and the situation stopped from spiralling towards further mistrust, peril and problems. The American side must not afford a very small specific circle an opportunity to muddy water and catch fish; rather the interest, views and demands of the entire nation must be respected."
Source: AlemarahEnglish.com (Afghanistan), July 12, 13, and 14, 2020. The original English of the statements has been lightly edited for clarity and standardization.
