Afghanistan has been the hotbed of different ideologies throughout the history. Our nation has witnessed liberal and radical movements. However, both bore bitter fruits which were toxic to the Afghans' social and cultural norms. Similarly, the ideological tendencies wrecked irreparable havoc on the political infrastructures and inflicted mortal wounds on our people. We underwent great affliction amidst war and violence originated in radical mindsets. Our nation suffered painfully under Taliban for their megalomania and fundamental worldwide. It is an undeniable fact that the Taliban militias nurtured a set of extreme beliefs and imposed it on people at the point of gun.
In other words, their radical stereotypes – masked in piety and devotion – preyed upon Afghan men, women and children. The unmitigated insurgency carried out by the Taliban militants continued in spite of their downfall. The mercenary militias and seminary's ideologues are striving to foment troubles through playing with the life of our nation. Their lethal acts of terror still lead to great casualties.
Meanwhile, the threat of radicalism has been augmented via emergence of the Islamic State militant groups in the country. Seemingly, Afghanistan is on the verge of witnessing worse ideology being carried out by the IS militants. Since the Taliban's Supreme Leader Mullah Omar does not carry much weight in recent years, the Taliban insurgents have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State to lengthen their political and economic life. The drawdown of the NATO forces on one hand and the emergence of the Islamic State on the other hand will lead to a high instability in the country. If the government and NSTO troops do not join forces to counter terrorism with stronger determination, Afghanistan will have to be on the alert of horrible consequences. Precautionary measures should be taken by the Afghan government to prevent from further influence of the IS militants and let not Afghans fall victims to this lethal ideology.
The day-to-day macabre stories of the terrorist victims add insult to the historical injuries of our people. Our old wounds are being infected by the poisonous ideologies of the newly emerging militants. To our unmitigated chagrin, we have never been put in the process of therapy for our bleeding hearts root in three decades of war and carnage. After the fall of the Taliban's regime, Afghans hoped to breathe a sigh of relief in the absence of terrorism. They were tantalized by liberty and democracy. Men and women flocked to ballot boxes with high ambitions. They believed to gain bona fide peace through their ballots. However, their dream did not come true. The Taliban ragtag militants were regrouped and sent back to continue their deadly acts of terror.
US President Barack Obama said on Memorial Day that "Afghanistan remains a very dangerous place". Indeed, if this country be changed to the ground of ideological practices, people will not be safe from the poisonous effects. History shows that an innumerous mass of our people lost their lives and our cultural, political and economic infrastructures were havocked via radical ideologies. To put it succinctly, our nation has been the sacrificial lamb of ideologies and fundamental mindsets within three past decades. Liberal movements did not bear the desired fruit either, for being in conflicts with the public's social and cultural values. As a result, the King Amanullah Khan's liberal movement was strongly repressed. He failed to gain national favor to establish the western product, but with good intention, in our land. However, history still reveals a period of liberal ideology being practiced in the country. But this could not bring honor to the nation either. So, the fact is that our soil is highly prolific but was sowed the seeds of poisonous ideologies which led to great murders. Our enemies, especially the radicals such as the Taliban, exploited this land against our national interests. They shed the blood of our nation in our own land. Is it the end of the story?
No way, as it was mentioned previously, the Islamic State militants are preparing to put their own radicalism into practice in the country. Their ideology – archaic frames of mind practiced under the aegis of piety – is more extreme than that of the Taliban's style. There must be no room for the radical ideologies in Afghanistan anymore to victimize our people. Afghans are not doomed to suffer violence and bloodshed. We must learn from the history and do not let it repeat. Constitutionally, the government is liable to "strengthen national unity, safeguard independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country; establish an order based on the peoples' will and democracy; form a civil society void of oppression, atrocity, discrimination as well as violence, based on rule of law, social justice, protecting integrity and human rights, and attaining peoples' freedoms and fundamental rights; strengthen political, social, economic as well as defense institutions….
" Since presidential elections are national landmarks after the downfall of the Taliban's regime, the current democratic system should mitigate the public challenges. We will have to be able to breathe in peaceful climate and practice our rights to life, freedom, etc. Afghan children must not inherit violence and lack of patience from the past generations. Hopefully, our officials will do their best to curb the challenges and root out terrorism from the country. I emphasize that Afghans are not fated to suffer war and violence and Afghanistan must not be used as a ground for radical ideologies.