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Afghan
Jehad a moment of introspection for Kashmiris
The
story of misfortune of Afghanistan began in 1979 when Babrak Karmal,
under an agreement with the leadership of Soviet Union, called the
Russian troops into Afghanistan. Following this, the independence -
loving people of Afghanistan revolted against the incursionists and
the ruler who had come to power through a coup. The Afghans took up
arms to defend their national freedom. Afghanistan is a multi-ethnic
country and these nationalities rose against Russian military
presence in their land. However, Khalq and Parcham parties calling
the revolt against President Daud Khan as a revolution, supported the
Russian troops in Afghanistan. In this way, the matters headed
towards a fratricidal war in which Afghans shed the blood of Afghans.
The war continued and the US, its allies and other Muslim countries
started taking interest in what was brewing in Afghanistan. The
motivating factor for these countries was taking the revenge of
Vietnam debacle and thus CIA installed a strong network in
collaboration with ISI. Aid worth billions of dollars in the shape of
arms and ammunition was given to Afghan mujahideen through ISI to
resist the Soviet forces. The US described this resistance as jehad
saying that it was a war between the Muslims and the Kafirs or
infidels.
Muslims were utilized against the Russians through crude interference,
differences between Russia and China were also exploited to the
detriment of Russia. Arms and ammunition from China flowed to the
Afghan mujahideen through Pakistan. The internal story of jehad in
Afghanistan has been recorded in detail by the ISI chief of Afghan
Cell, Brig. Muhammad Yusuf in his book entitled The Bear trap. Writing
under the title ' Role of CIA', he said," Up to 1984, 90
per cent arms were purchased from China and in 1985 from Egypt.
Thereafter, consignments of arms and ammunition were purchased from
Israel but this was kept a secret by the US." Brig.
Muhammad Yusuf wrote that keeping the matter of purchase of
ammunition from Israel a secret was only to ensure that the feelings
of the Muslims were
not hurt otherwise for ammunition experts it should not be difficult
to identify the manufacturer. The Bear trap was jointly
written by Brig. Yusuf and Major Marc Edcan and was translated by Jung
publishers into Urdu under the title Shikast-e-Roos. It
provides valuable information on what happened in Afghanistan.
During the Afghan war, hundreds of thousands of Afghans became
refugees and thousands of them were working in Russia. This war was
given the name of Jehad by the leaders and warlords who were killing
Muslims, civilians , soldiers and commanders in the name of Islam. In
the chapter under the title 'Mutual civil war', Brig.Yusuf writes,
" in 1989, Islamic court of Jamaat-e-Islami (Rabbani)
hanged mujahideen of Hikmatyar's Hizb-e-Islami activists in public. These
hangings were the result of a civil war among Afghan
commanders. In 1989, thirty-six men, including seven prominent
commanders of Ahmad Shah Masood were killed by Hizb-e-Islami
(Hikmatyar). The religious leaders patched up their differences and
took an oath upon the holy Qur'an. But this agreement did not last
long." A hind sight of Afghan happenings shows that the
people involved in jehad were actually killing one another. In
1987, Hekmatyar's armed bands cut off the hands and feet of Ahmad Shah
Masood's men and then slaughtered them in cold blood.
In 1989, the mujahideen attacked Jalalabad where nearly 15,000
persons were killed. According to a conservative estimate nearly a
million people were killed during the jehad. Add to it the vast
destruction of Afghan cities and towns and her infrastructure. It is
incalculable. To state that the Russians were defeated and that they
suffered a heavy loss in Afghanistan, is far from being the truth.
The Russian commanders were highly professional and they withdrew
from Afghanistan in a planned manner in which they suffered the
minimum loss. To think that the Russians left Afghanistan because of
mujahideen, is not the truth. After the exit of the Russians,
the mujahideen could not dislodge Najibullah regime for two and a
half years. Russians decided to leave Afghanistan because they found
that a civil war, a fratricidal war was developing in that country.
Various organizations were at logger heads. These organizations and
groups had come into existence when General Dostum, a commander under
Dr. Najibullah decided to rise in revolt against the President. In
collaboration with General Ahmad Shah Masood, he removed Dr.
Najibullah from the seat of
power and forced him to seek shelter in the headquarters of the United
Nations in Kabul.
The exiled government comprising seven factions captured power and
Gen. Dostum was instrumental in that. Ahmad Shah Masood became the
Defence Minister while Prof. Burhanud - Din Rabbani was declared the
new President. Hekmatyar was made Prime Minister. This was the new
arrangement but Hekmatyar, the Prime Minister, could not enter to
Kabul because of renewed fighting among the soldiers of the three
commanders. Hekmatyar's condition was that he would accept the
cease-fire only when General Dostum's forces had withdrawn from Kabul
because he (Dostum) had fought against the mujahideen and supported
the Russians, But then in December 1995, Hekmatyar aligned with the
same Dostum and fought against Rabbani and Ahmad Shah Masood. Is this
Islam and should this be called jehad where commanders take an
oath upon the holy book and then break it in order to carry out their
selfish agenda?
Dostum was absolved of his supporting the Soviets and fighting
against the mujahideen. It is because of so-called champions of Islam
like him and others who have turned Afghanistan into ruins. What is
happening in Kabul and in Afghanistan today is well known to every
body except my compatriots in Kashmir. There are a few emotional
persons in Kashmir who are lionizing the Afghans from having thrown
out the Soviets. They are dreaming that like these mujahideen they
will also hoist the flag of victory in Kashmir. Before I proceed to
recount what the International League for Human Rights has said on
the bloodshed in Afghanistan after the removal of Dr. Najibullah, let
me remind my readers that in April 1993, Nawaz Sharif government and
the Saudi Prince had got an agreement signed by the leaders of all
parties of Afghanistan. It stipulated a cease-fire, unity and
reconciliation. The agreement was signed immediately after these
leaders had performed 'umrah' in the Mecca. Hardly had the ink
dried on the agreement sheet when the 'Islamic leaders' of
Afghanistan returned to war path. They forgot umrah as they
had forgotten taking oath upon the holy book earlier. Yet we call
their action a jehad, Jehad against whom? A Muslim fighting a
Muslim and a Muslim killing a Muslim. Afghanistan has turned into an
Islamic country where the President, the Prime Minister and the
Defence Minister are bombarding their own cities and towns, killing
their own people, destroying their own property and all this in the
name of Islam. The world media is highlighting these activities day
in and day out.
According to the reports of International Relief Workers and
Journalists, " during the first eight months, after the ouster
of Najibullah Khan, 75,000 civilians were wounded while 12,000 were
killed because of infighting among mujahideen. Southern and South-Western
parts of Kabul were badly affected. Residential areas were targeted
and hospitals, schools, public places, bazaars and mosques were also
destroyed. International League for Human Rights in its report of
March 1994 said," throughout much of the 1979 - 89, Red Army
occupation, Kabul was spared the wrath and devastation of war. But
since the arrival of the mujahideen, however, Kabul has suffered far
more damage and casualties than during the entire Soviet - Afghan
war. By mid summer 1993, entire street sections had been completely
destroyed and once boisterous residential areas turned into shattered
and looted ghost towns." This report further states that
since 1994, Kabul has once again taken the full brunt of war Afghan
political groups change their loyalties and alliances time and again.
One day they are involved in fighting and on the next day they make
alliances with their enemy and then fight with their ally of
yesterday. When renewed fighting sparked off in Kabul on January 1,
1994, new alliances emerged. Hekmatyar made alliance with the Uzbek
militia chief Gen. Rashid Dostum and is fighting against President
Burhanud - Din Rabbani and Ahmad Shah Masood while in the past Gen
Dostum was the strongest supporter of the government of Rabbani.
Dostum is not only unpopular but his forces are responsible for the
most of the bloodshed, kidnaping and molestation. Hekmatyar had
differences with President Rabbani because of Gen. Dostum's past
history. How come that there was now reversal of everything?
According to the report of the International Red Cross, in the first
six weeks of 1994, over 900 people were killed while 10,500 were
wounded. This number can be higher and the people only allege that
all fighting commanders (jangi sardars) are fighting
for power and material gains at the cost of the life and proper of
their own people. The report quotes Ahmad Shah Masood saying,"
It is impossible for the government to control the armed gangs. These
people are responsible for thefts, burglaries and molestation. And in
my opinion, Soviet Union had quit Afghanistan two years earlier when
mujahideen were incapable of discharging the responsibilities
of governance. International Red Cross and also the people of
Afghanistan are of the opinion that restoration of peace in Kabul and
other parts of Afghanistan is impossible until total destruction of
any one of the main groups or complete and total exhaustion of
stockpiles of arms and ammunition. The report blames Pakistan, Iran
and Saudi Arabia for escalation of war by encouraging commanders of
their respective choice. The report quotes a common man and a common
woman in Kabul saying respectively, " We fought the war for
freedom from the Russians but our so-called leaders are fighting for
power and material gains. I was injured only because I was asked to
assist the murderers who were killing our own people on roads, and I
do not want to live in Kabul where beasts have become the
kings."
According to International Red Cross, the number of refugees from the
war-torn areas during the on-going civil war has reached 1.5
million. In February 1994, these fighting commanders did not
shown any respect to the requests of the International Red Cross and
the UN to bring food supplies to the starving 50,000 people of the
town and the refugees who were fleeing for safety. These fugitives
were stopped in the way, looted of their money and their women
molested. In 1993, a container filled with dead bodies of women
was found in the Pushtoon area of Kabul. These women were first raped
and then brutally murdered. Prof. Felix of the UN writes in his
report" that in Afghanistan, men have automatic rifles and the
children have rocket launchers. But the women have not been
provided with arms and only the men are fighting for power while the
women are struggling for living their normal life". Referring to
a fetwa (religious decree) issued jointly by the ulema,
the report says" that girls cannot go to school because they
will misuse the education received in there. If the girls know reading
and writing, they will write letters to those people with whom they
want to make friendship."
It should not be difficult to understand that the US used Afghans
against Russia and in the process Afghanistan came to its ruination.
When the Soviets left Afghanistan, the US also turned its head away
from Afghanistan. According to one Afghan the Americans first
destroyed Afghanistan by excessive aid and now by stopping all aid.
Today in Afghanistan houses, streets, gardens, schools, hospitals,
mosques, museums and everything have met with destruction; this being
far greater than what was suffered during the war with the Soviets.
And all this destruction is being done in the name of Islam. Where
does Islam permit to take up arms against aged men, women, children
or wounded persons?
The so-called Islamic war
fought in Afghanistan is now being thrust upon Kashmir by the
religious extremists on the same pattern as in Afghanistan.
After razing Afghanistan to the ground, the Afghan, Sudanese
and other 'mujahids' are now despatched to Kashmir where the
situation is heading towards a civil war. Hizbul Mujahideen and
Jamaat-e-Islami are leading this civil war because they fight against
Al - Burq, Al - Jehad and Al - Mujahid despite the fact that the
ideology of all these groups is the same and that is accession to
Pakistan or Islamic system. Hizbul Mujahideen brutally killed the
youth who subscribed to the organizations with the ideology of
independent Kashmir. Malik Maqbool was kidnapped and tortured for
five days. His eyes were gouged out, his beard burnt and his dead
body was thrown on the roadside. In the same way, Mr.Idres was also
killed. Generally Kashmiris are of the opinion that Dr. Guru, Maulana
Masu'di and Maulavi Farooq were also martyred by the fundamentalists.
It is a different matter that the people have maintained silence
knowing to the fear of the gun. But despite that , local newspapers
in Kashmir receive innumerable appeals and letters day in day out
addressed to the heads of militant groups saying that near and dear
ones have been kidnapped by their activists. Even the instances of
rape of kidnapped women are also brought to the notice of the press.
A militant named Jamshid set ablaze an educational institution named
Islamia College and some smaller bridges over the river or the
nullahs across the valley.
Apart from this, the war of so-called Islamic system launched by the
militant groups in the name of national freedom has deprived Kashmiri
people of international support to their cause. It will be reminded
that during the Afghan war, the ISI created Afghan press
agency and made propaganda of killing
one hundred Russians against one Afghan in the course of the war. In
the same manner propaganda is made that 30 Indian soldiers are being
killed against one Kashmiri though the truth is that 20 to 30
Kashmiris are being killed against one Indian soldier. If this rate
of killing continues, Kashmir will be depleted of its youth
population in next five years. Those who describe the war of
independence of Kashmir as an Islamic war like the Afghan war, forget
that the war in Afghanistan was fought by the USA, western countries,
France, Germany, UK and the Muslim countries against Russia. All
kinds of arms, ammunition and other material aid was provided to
Afghans. In addition,the western media lent tremendous moral support
to the mujahideen in order to demoralize the Soviet forces on the
field in Afghanistan. Apart from the actual battlefield, the war was
fought at all international fora including the UN. The requirements
of 40 lakh Afghan refugees were met by the western powers and their
Asian allies. But notwithstanding all this material, moral and
logistic support, the outcome of Afghan war was nothing but
destruction of that country at the hands of its own people. Should
the Afghan war be anything for Kashmiris to
emulate?
The militant organizations in Kashmir call their struggle a religious
war whereas it should have been a national freedom movement of the
five units of original J&K State. They want to bring destruction
in the subcontinent for which no country in the world is willing to
lend them its support. Even the Muslim countries do not consider it a
war between Islam and kufr (infidelity). Neither the UN nor
any other international body is involved in this issue. Despite
massive human rights violations by the Indian security forces, the
resolution tabled by Pakistan against India at the Human Rights
Commission in Geneva could not get more than three votes with the
result that Pakistan had to eat the humble pie. Religious groups and
the militant leadership in Kashmir thought that the Kashmir struggle
be given Afghan colour and called a jehad. But they
easily forgot that the war in Afghanistan was in fact being fought
between the US and the Soviet Union whereas in Kashmir, the issue had
been presented before the international community as a territorial
dispute between India and Pakistan. Even if we accept for a while
that Pakistan succeeded in internationalizing Kashmir issue, then the
truth is that international opinion has not gone in favour of
Pakistan in any case. Instead of repeating the experiment of
Afghanistan in J&K, it would be better if all the organizations
adopted a unified stand and launched the struggle for peaceful
resolution of Kashmir issue through tripartite dialogue. Kashmiri
people should raise their voice against false fetwas
(religious decrees) issued by murderers, kidnappers and extortionists
with vested interest.
The fighting groups in Kashmir including the security forces should
remember that the Geneva Convention of August 12, 1949 categorically
states," Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including
members of armed forces, who have laid down their arms and those
placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detentions or due to any
other cause, shall in all circumstances, be treated humanely without
adverse distinction for nation or race, colour, religion or faith,
sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria. To this end, the
following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and at any
place whatsoever with respect to the above mentioned persons: (a)
violence to life and persons, in particular murder of all kinds,
mutilation, cruel treatment and torture (b) taking of hostages ©
outrage upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating and
degrading treatment and (d) the passing of sentences and the carrying
out of executions without previous judgement pronounced by a
regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees
which are recognized as indispensable for civilized
people."
Indian security forces, unfortunately, have not been either trained
in a manner as to realize their responsibility of upholding the human
rights of the people even in a state of turmoil or that they
intentionally ignore it. Aged persons and children have been arrested
or kidnapped and tortured. What justification can be there for Bejbehara
carnage? All these incidents contravene the Geneva Convention to
which India is a signatory.
For last five years, I have been highlighting various dimensions of
armed struggle in Kashmir particularly the religious and communal
colour which is being given to it as in Afghanistan. It has to be
understood that with the armed men from Afghanistan, Sudan and other
Islamic countries being despatched to Kashmir to fight the Indian
security forces there has only supported the case of India at
international platforms. India is making a common cause with Egypt,
Algeria and other Islamic countries faced with the rising crescendo
of Islamic fundamentalism. The explosion caused at the World
Trade Centre in New York has also been attributed to Islamic fundamentalist
- terrorist machinations. According to western diplomats, it is said
that during the talks between the Indian authorities and the US
Deputy Secretary of State, Mr. Talbott, it was emphasized that when
the US considered war against religious fundamentalism in Egypt,
Algeria, Israel, Iran and Sudan as genuine, and even extended support
to it, why then was not the same importance given to Indian security
forces fighting religious extremism in Kashmir? It is reported that a
plethora of proofs of religious parties in Kashmir supporting
annexation by Pakistan were placed before Mr.Talbott. This forced
both Mr.Talbott and Robin Raphel to change their views on
Kashmir.
It is of utmost importance that the truth is not made a casualty
while addressing the Kashmir problem. Pakistan, for example,
has already learnt a lesson for not speaking the truth. The lesson is
the breaking of Pakistan in 1971 and creation of Bangladesh. At that
time, the President of Pakistan had, in his address to the nation, said
that Pakistan would fight the war for a thousand years. Three hours
later Pakistan army surrendered in East Pakistan. India went on
listening to the lies of opportunists, selfish politicians and
sycophants from Kashmir and suppressed the aspirations of Kashmiris
only to serve some short term interests. On their part, Kashmiris
have also seen the result of false promises and propaganda of their
so-called well wishers of getting Kashmir liberated within six
months.
The
time has come when Kashmiris should stop believing in false
propaganda. The time has come when the people speaking out the truth
can no more be persecuted, threatened and intimidated. In
Afghanistan, Hekmatyar could not tolerate when courageous people
spoke out the truth. Dozens of nationalist Afghans were killed by his
hired persons in the streets of Peshawar and their cases are still
pending before the Commissioner for Afghanistan in Peshawar.
Kashmiris have been secular minded people showing respect to all
religions. They have had great respect for their saints and sufis who
taught humanism
The Afghan brand of Islam in which armed groups kill their own people
and destroy their own tradition and cultural symbols will not be
acceptable to Kashmiris. A Kashmiri mother whose son was martyred in
Afghanistan in the name of jehad, poignantly said," If
Hizbe-e-Islami of Hekmatyar and Burhanud - Din Rabbani considered
shedding of blood as justified in the name of Islam, then why and for
what was my son martyred? " On January 10, 1994 Hekmatyar's
and Dostum's bombers pounded the old and historical Blue Mosque of
Kabul. Pul-e-Kheshti mosque was also destroyed in the course of
bombardment and 400 persons were killed in this attack "
(Dawn of Karachi, January 11, 1994). Kashmiris should learn a lesson
from these happenings in Afghanistan and not go on lionizing the
mujahideen and their warlords as their deliverers. After Pakistan's
debacle in Geneva on the question of a resolution against India,
Kashmiris should think of resolving the tangle through a dialogue
only. I conclude this write up with two sayings attributed to Hazrat
Omar ibn Khattab:
(a)
one who dominates through militancy is not a dominator but a
dominated one, (b) one who succeeds through unfair means is not
successful but a failure. The standard of anyone being reliable can
be assessed by the fairness of his dealings with others and not by
the number of prayers (namaz) offered by
him.
( 07.05.1994 )
Postscript:
This article was written in 1994 when Burhanud - Din Rabbani headed
the government in Kabul. But the government changed after some time
and a new factor emerged on Afghan political scene namely the Taliban.
However, as destiny would have it, this did not change the madness
for a fratricide and a genocide in that country. The process of
subjugating the people, suppressing the women and making them the
target of male dictatorship or turning Afghanistan into a vast ruin
has not been reversed. Of course what is changing are the
loyalties; today Dostum is with Hekmatyar and tomorrow he is with
Ahmad Shah Masu'd: his joining Taliban on a fine morning may not be
ruled out. All this changing scenario should increase the utility of
my article for Kashmiris. The killings and destruction brought to the
people and the land during last two years by these warlords have been
brought exclusively in the name of Islam - the religion of peace,
tolerance and amity. When we happen to meet an Afghan anywhere, he
has no hesitation in saying that the period of Najibullah and
of the Russians
was the best period for Afghanistan.
Now Taliban have established their control on Kabul and a large part
of Afghanistan. Unfortunately it has presented Islam as a retrograde
and tribal system with all the characteristics of a backward society.
Naturally this is a big challenge for the renowned and serious
scholars of Islamic studies worldwide. They dragged out Dr.
Najibullah and his brother from the UN premises in Kabul where they
had sought refuge, hanged them in a public place and let their dead
bodies remain there for four days. We ask what kind of Islam is this?
In Algeria, innocent children are murdered in the name of Islam.
Women and young people are dragged out of their homes and then
murdered in cold blood in the name of Islam. In Afghanistan women
have been debarred from working at places outside their homes and the
doors of education and training have been closed on them. All this is
done in the name of Islam. Does not this put a big question mark on
Islam and the entire Muslim world?.
Religious groups in Kashmir and those fighting in the name of
religion also want us to be introduced to the fundamentalist Islam of
Algerian, Afghan and Jamaat-e-Islami orientation. This Islam prompts
its adherents to one another's murder, burning of school and
college buildings and bridges, taking innocent foreign tourists as
hostages or beheading them and kill one's own kith and kiln in a
barbaric manner in case of a difference of opinion as shown by the
examples of Qazi Nisar and Malik Maqbool. Is this the Islam brought
by the prophet in Arabia? It cannot be in any case. The Islam
brought by him is of protection of humanism. He even pardoned Hindah,
the wife of Abu Sufyan who had ripped open the chest of Hazrat
Hamza (Prophet's uncle) and torn away his heart. Hazrat Ali felled
his adversary and jumped on his body to kill him. His victim then
spat at him which prompted Hazrat Ali to change his mind and let him
go. When asked about this strange behaviour, Hazrat Ali said that his
adversary's behaviour had aroused the sentiment of personal
enmity and anger in him. Had he killed him under that impulse, he
would be a criminal before God. This was the level of training Hazrat
Ali had received in the school of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
Let has have a look at the deeds of those who claim to be the Islamic
missionaries: let us look at those who claim that through armed
struggle they were going to change the course of history. The harsh
reality is that they have given nothing to the society except
killing, loot and destruction. To Islam they have rendered only
disservice. This write up, therefore, invites those who have
unleashed murder and arson in the name of Islam and those who have
initiated what they call a religious war (jehad) in Kashmir and in
particular the common people in Kashmir to make some introspection.
It invites them to adequate reaction to the questions that have been
raised. The time has come when the people of Kashmir should divert
their energies towards the amelioration of the lot of millions of
people and the humanity at large so that the hurdles and difficulties
in the path of our future generations are removed and a prosperous,
free and vibrant social order is provided.
The Taliban have attempted to show up the face of Islam to the common
people in Afghanistan through the use of brute force. Even ordinary
people who have faith in Islam would like to lament on the thinking
and approach of Taliban. News emanating from Kabul say that the
Taliban have imposed a ban on women going to schools and colleges and
universities. A baker was imposed eight day's imprisonment and a
sound thrashing for selling bread to a woman. People were
dragged on the road for not keeping beard. A tailor was punished for
taking the measurement of a woman. As we stand on the threshold of
21st century, is this the picture of Islam we are going to present to
the people in Kashmir dispassionately ?.
Diemen, July 20, 1997
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