President Hamid Karzai has come up with another criticism of Taliban militants, calling them a group employed to defame the religion of Islam. Karzai said in a recent statement that the foreign sponsors of the Taliban have ordered the group to attack mosques, religious ceremonies and scholars in Afghanistan to discredit the country and Islam. The Afghan president also condemned the assassination of religious scholars who have been frequently targeted by the militants.
Taliban’s representative, ZabihullahMujaheed has immediately responded to the president’s statement. He has declared Hamid Karzai as the “enemy of Islam and slave of foreigners”, saying ‘Karzai should know that permanent enemy of Islam are those who entered the presidential place with support of the foreigners’.
President Karzai’s stance on Taliban insurgents indicates a change in his view as he referred them as his annoyed brothers just a few months back. Nevertheless, Taliban’s stance on Karzai administration is the same as it was a decade ago. They have been calling it as the puppet of the West since their government was toppled in 2001.
Time has come when President Karzai should rethink over the policies he has adopted towards Taliban insurgents. It would be welcoming, if President stops calling Taliban as his ‘angry brothers’ and adopting a clear and straightforward stance towards them. Killing of innocent men, women and children in hand of Taliban on daily basis is more than enough to establish the fact that they have no respect for Islam, humanity and Afghanistan.
Karzai’s 2nd term as the president of Afghanistan is ending next year and he has no 3rd chance to run for the presidency based on the constitution of the country. Apparently, he is trying to gain the public trust by issuing such anti-Taliban statements. By calling Taliban as his annoyed brothers, President Karzai had triggered public criticisms. Calling them brothers has borne no sweet fruit for the President. His own brother, Ahmad Wali Karzai who was Head of Kandahar Provincial Council was shot dead in 2011.
To people, Taliban are not their brothers but their enemies who have been involved in slaughtering thousands of civilians during and after their government. Now Karzai speaks the public words, which is welcoming.