The Northern Alliance may be very good at war. However, none of its officials qualify to run a peaceful country. Sultan Hekmatullah Ghaznawi, a U of T student who was born in Afghanistan, explains where he believes the country must go if it is to achieve lasting peace.
After September 11, the world began to look anew at Afghanistan and its hard-line Taliban rulers. Tragically, it took the lives of more than 4,000 people to arouse our conscience.
Despite the much-discussed oppression of women in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, the international community did not betray any uneasiness with Taliban and Al–Qaeda operations. Although the United States has avowedly long stood against terrorism, nothing was done to discourage the Taliban and their guest, Osama Bin Laden, from their activities and operations.
A bit of history
As the United States and its allied forces have now helped the struggling Northern Alliance militants to regain the territory they lost in 1996, almost 60 percent of Afghanistan, a question arises. Who will take power now?
Few know the past history of the Northern Alliance. In 1992 they started a bloody conflict which never ended. One of the current very active Northern Alliance leaders, General Abdul Rashid Dostum, and his army have been well known to the Afghani public for numerous acts of killing, rape and looting of civilians between 1992 and 1996.
Another Alliance leader is Gulbudeen Hekmatyar, currently in self-declared exile in Iran. He is responsible for killing thousands of people while he and his army opposed the Persian-speaking government of Rabani during the same period. Each and every single one of these war criminals has a profile which could be presented against them in court of justice.
After the withdrawal of former Soviet Union forces from Afghanistan we thought the Mujahideen, the freedom fighters, would restore peace and stability and bring opportunities for people to develop the country. Contrary to our belief, an even larger civil unrest was triggered.
Blinded by the thirst for power, the seven major rebel groups pounded Kabul and other major urban cities with missile raids. An estimated 80,000 people were killed during the Mujahideen’s rule over Afghanistan. This internal conflict continued until 1996, when some religious groups in Pakistan and other countries formed the Taliban.
For most people, Taliban were initially a symbol of peace and hope. The residents of Kabul embraced them as soldiers of God, but it was soon revealed that they were not fighting by the power of Almighty God but with the power of the almighty dollar. They had a strong backing from Pakistani intelligence as well as the Saudi Arabian government.
Soon enough, an Arab millionaire—the infamous Osama Bin Laden, who had fought against Russians in Afghanistan in the 80s—joined the Taliban and established a global terrorist network by the name of Al-Qaeda.
But where to go
Moving ahead, the question persists: who is capable of building and running a stable and long-term government in Afghanistan? Different theories have been put forward.
Rabani, who entered Kabul after the Allied forces made the way clear for him and his troops, claims he is still the President of Afghanistan.
This self-declared President has received very little support from Afghans or non-Afghans. He does have a point for his return, because there was an immediate need to fill the power vacuum in Kabul. However, in the long run, he does not qualify for Afghanistan’s presidency.
When referring to a government, we anticipate that the people governing are educated, aware, organized and recognized. Unfortunately, this is not the case with any political party in Afghanistan. Most of the leaders are Muslim clerics, such as Rabani himself, who has only a theological background. Running a country requires far more skills and resources than mere theological knowledge.
While the American and British are currently leading the dialogue for formation of a stable and long term government, there is an enormous demand for professionals from outside of the political circle to join hands. Afghans who have settled in other countries can play a key role in rebuilding Afghanistan as well as forming a government. Afghans have never welcomed nor tolerated foreign invasion.
Thousands of years ago, they fought the Arabs who were destined to invade Afghanistan to spread Islam. Although the Afghans adopted Islam, they never allowed an Arab government in their country. From the more recent past, we see the British Empire’s unsuccessful attempt at invasion of Afghanistan, followed by the famous occupation by the former Soviet Union.
In one form or the other, it should be clarified to the people of Afghanistan that the presence of Americans and their allies’ elite military resources will not pose any danger to the civilian population. The fight against terrorism is also a fight against invasion of Afghanistan by multinational terrorists. However, the delicate line between invasion and fighting in the interest of Afghanistan and its people is easily crossed with the Afghan people. Their role may be well defined in the war against terrorism, but there is a much more pressing need for Afghanistan’s people to choose their own government. Of course, considering what this country has gone through in past decades, forming a government will be extremely difficult.
Thus, the United Nations needs to play its role in helping to shape the newborn government. Frankly, Afghanistan’s conflict solution is not very complicated, if the UN chooses to contribute towards a democratic outcome. The most important issue would be exclusion of any militant factions.
The Northern Alliance may be very good at war. However, none of its officials qualify to run a peaceful country. The greatest day of my life, and that of all Afghans, inside and outside Afghanistan, will be when our people go to polling stations to choose their leader in a democratic environment.
Born in Afghanistan, Sultan Hekmatullah Ghaznawi spent most of his life outside Afghanistan, mostly in Pakistan. 21 years old. Moved to Canada in 1999, through a scholarship/sponsorship by World University Service of Canada and University of Toronto. Currently a student in University of Toronto.
