Press Release
Taliban Must Announce Its Rejection of "Surrender Talks" and Express the Stance of Siding only with the Khilafah Rashidah over Pakistan and Afghanistan

Last week, Taliban confirmed that they will attend the Afghanistan conference in Paris later this month of December, it was not mentioned that the movement would enter into any negotiations with the Afghan government. Spokesman for the Taliban Zabihullah Mujahid said, "The Taliban in this conference will express its stance to the world community and we will send two representatives. We must clarify that there are no other representatives or talks with anyone other than these two representatives. This is only a research conference and the representatives of the Taliban are attending the conference only to address directly the world about their views face to face." He further added that the movement had support amongst the people and that the US had accepted this reality. He said, "Taliban are not just a simple movement (but) a movement with roots among the people. The Americans came to accepting the Taliban as a reality." (The International News, December 11 2012).

The international conference on Afghanistan comes at a critical juncture for America and its allies, as they both seek a face saving exit solution to the Afghan quagmire. Central to this plan is the five-step blueprint, entitled "Peace Process Roadmap to 2015", which was suggested by Afghanistan and Pakistan under American auspices. In essence the plan seeks to lure Taliban and other associated militant groups into Afghanistan's government structure in return for complete renunciation of resistance. The overarching guiding principle for the talks is summed up by McClatchy News: "Any outcome of the peace process must respect the Afghan constitution...As part of the negotiated outcome, the Taliban and other armed groups must cut ties with Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups, and verifiably renounce violence...the peace process should be facilitated and supported by regional and international countries." ("Afghan Peace Process Roadmap to 2015", McClatchy Online, 13 December 2012).

Although we know that Taliban is not led by one, and no faction can claim that he represent the movement, and although we know that most of the factions, if not all, in the movement refuse any negotiation with the Western colonial powers. It is difficult to understand how the various factions are even considering the peace talks, although that having sacrificed so much time, effort and money, and spilt so much pure blood that the Taliban would even consider such a peace plan. By all accounts, the root and branches of the peace plan seek only to safeguard America's wavering sovereignty in the region and by using the Afghan government as a tool to achieve that.

Hence, there is no doubt that this plan is an insult to countless Afghan civilians who have lost their lives in their service to protect their Islam. It is also a despicable affront to the thousands of martyrs and the tens of thousands of mujahideen who have made America and its allies kneel and search for a hasty exit. Indeed entering, negotiating and signing up to a plan in which the very foundation demand respect for the Afghan constitution is a betrayal of Allah (swt), his Messenger (saw) and the Ummah. And Allah (swt) said,

(فَلاَ تَهِنُوا وَتَدْعُوا إِلَى السَّلْمِ وَأَنْتُمْ الأَعْلَوْنَ وَاللَّهُ مَعَكُمْ وَلَنْ يَتِرَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ)

"Do not be faint hearted, begging for peace when you are uppermost and Allah is with you and will not waste your efforts." [Muhammad: 35]

It is not only haram to entertain such a treacherous plan but it is a height of political naivety and does not serve anyone but the enemy of Islam because it enables the Kuffar over Afghanistan. This matter is a danger matter in the Deen of Allah (swt). (وَلَنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا) "And never will Allah give the disbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them." [An-Nisaa: 141].

We at The Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir would like to approach from the Deen an-Naseeha (advice). We would like address our brothers in Taliban and the other groups working with them with the following:

1. This should consider the current Afghan constitution and the Afghan political structures and the current government are illegal and not from Islam. All have been established by the colonialist forces to subdue Islam, oppress the people and protect their respective interests.

2. The only valid political goal for solving Afghanistan and Pakistan's problems and the entire Ummah is through the work for the re-establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" Rashida, which will apply Islam in all aspects of life in the political, economic, social and foreign issues, and the rejection of any partial implementation of Islam. Any other political outcome, short of this goal is wasted time and effort.

3. No negotiation will be entered into or negotiated upon with any Afghani official that mix the Haqq (Truth) with the Baatil (evil), which recognises the legitimacy of America's puppet Afghan government. If this occurs, it will be the first of the steps that forego the Haqq and follow the Evil even if it is under the guise of a "research" conference in Paris attended by the rulers of Afghanistan and Taliban representatives. Such conferences are the first steps of the dangerous political pitfalls... the Haqq refuses to sever.

By doing this, Taliban sends two simultaneous messages:

First: To the world that Taliban is steadfast upon the Haqq, refuses any alternative, so the world realizes that Taliban can not be deceived by the schemes of the colonialist Kafireen.

Second: To the Muslim Ummah that Taliban towards the Khilafah "Caliphate" to restore the dignity of Islam and the Muslims.

(هَذَا بَلَاغٌ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيُنْذَرُوا بِهِ وَلِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ وَلِيَذَّكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ)

"Here is a Message for mankind: that they may take warning there from, and let them know that He is (no other than) One Allah. Let men of understanding take heed." [Ibrahim: 52]

 Osman Bakhach
Director of Central Media Office Hizb ut Tahrir