Engaging with the Afghan Government Remains a Priority for the U.S. and the United Nations

News:

According to the Associated Press, Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the United Nations, stated in a press conference that the organization has taken a firm position regarding the Taliban’s new law on Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice (PVPV), which the organization sees as ‘another step’ towards the exclusion of women from public life. Despite this stance, Dujarric emphasized that the UN remains committed to its ongoing engagement and activities in Afghanistan.

Comment:

Recently, the Afghan government’s approach toward value-driven Western institutions seems to have become more aggressive. Not long ago, the government’s spokesperson announced that the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights had been barred from entering Afghanistan. Shortly afterward, Afghanistan’s leadership enacted and published the new law on PVPV, which has drawn fierce backlash from Western organizations. Some have criticized the law as a violation of human rights while others warned that such actions could damage the Afghan government’s relations with the international community.

In contrast, the United States and the United Nations appear to have made no substantial change in their approach – both continue their engagement with the Afghan government. This continued engagement could be attributed to two primary reasons. First, if global concern about the Taliban stems from issues of human rights and Western values, it seems that in this context, no major obstacles are seen. For instance, while the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights was prevented from visiting Afghanistan, he keeps continuing his regional activities and travels. At the same time, organizations such as UNAMA, which promote Western values in Afghanistan, still operate actively in the country and even describe certain Islamic rulings in their reports as ‘oppressive’.

The second reason is that the primary concern of the United States regarding Afghanistan is not the violation of Western values. Contrary to the slogans and campaigns, the U.S. does not place much value on women’s rights or human rights, but rather uses them as political pressure tools. In some other countries, similar institutions of PVPV exist, and certain Islamic rulings are enforced, yet these countries are among the United States’ closest allies in the region.

Therefore, the U.S. does not prioritize the domestic policies of these countries. The United States’ main concern regarding Afghanistan is that it may turn into a vibrant stronghold for Islamic governance with the Taliban-led Islamism influencing foreign policy and posing a threat to U.S. interests. As a result, the U.S., both directly and through the United Nations and other means of influence, strives to maintain oversight and engagement with the Taliban in order to divert or suppress the rise of Islamism in Afghanistan. This is why the UN spokesperson, despite expressing concerns about the PVPV law, remains committed to engaging with the Taliban. Moreover, David S. Cohen, the Deputy Director of the CIA, mentioned in a national security meeting in Rockville, Maryland, that “the CIA has maintained various channels of communication with the Taliban over the past three years.”

The West is concerned about the concept of promoting virtue and preventing vice, while the inevitable truth is that Islam is overall about promoting virtue as this concept encompasses every aspect of Islam – from domestic affairs to foreign policies and from calling to Islam to waging Jihad. As Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned in his book ‘Al-Hisbah’: "وجميــع الولايــات الإســلامية إنمــا مقصودهــا الأمــر بالمعــروف والنهــي عــن المنكــر، ســواء فــي ذلــك ولايــة الحــرب الكبــرى، مثــل نيابــة الســلطنة، والصغــرى مثــل ولايــة الشــرطة، وولايــة الحكــم، أو ولايــة المــال وهــي ولايــة الدواويــن الماليــة وولايــة الحســبة".

Therefore, only through the establishment of the Rightly-Guided Khilafah (Caliphate) will the promotion of virtue be comprehensively and fully implemented. This is why we have been chosen as the best nation to lead humanity by establishing the Caliphate based on the method of Prophethood and promoting virtue while preventing vice. The West fears this and aims to prevent the Islamic world from moving towards establishing the Caliphate, despite it being the promise of Allah (swt) and His Messenger (PBUH). But where are the righteous ones who will take steps toward achieving this great goal?!

[كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَوْ آمَنَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُم مِّنْهُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ]

“You are the best nation ever raised for humanity. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah. Had the People of the Book believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient.” [Aal-i Imran: 110]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Yusof Arsalan
Member of the Media Office in Wilayah Afghanistan