Impacts of Taliban Rule on Afghans - Essay Example

Rule of Taliban Introduction Taliban originated from Arabic word “taleb” which de d who are of Sunni category of Muslims and in most cases of the Pashtun tribe. It began with the main aim inculcating strict Islamic laws, ejecting warlords and foreseeing the existence of law and order in Afghanistan. They were appointed by the government to protect a group of individuals who were trying to open up trade routes between Pakistan and central Asia. It grew from strength to strength and by the year 1997 they were considered the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan. Thesis: Afghanistan should return the power back to the Taliban because crime rates were low and drug production was at its lowest during their regime. In the year 2000 they had 95% of Afghanistan under their control. After several bombing instances, the Taliban were attacked by the United States of America which made them to escape to other areas for safety (Barth, 12). This left them with a mere 5% of the entire country under their control, these were regions on the north and eventually escaping to Pakistan start being driven out of their last city(Kunduz). It was until recently that first signs of their return were detected. Arguments have risen across different political, religious, social and economic divides of whether ruling power needs to be taken back to them or not. The varied opinion on whether Taliban should be allowed to take back Afghanistan under their rule has been strengthened by the impact felt during their regime whether it were positive or negative. Many people believe that despite the pessimistic views labeled against Taliban, lots of positive developments were realized during their regime as compared to before and after their ousting. It should be noted that despite Taliban being considered reckless on women, they were arguably of importance to the economy and social wellbeing of the Afghans. Some of the reasons cited for letting Taliban regain control of Afghanistan include, but not restricted to their goal of minimizing and eliminating crime at all cost. They succeeded in doing so by coming up with their own kind of Islamic law that entailed death sentences and amputations. Crimes committed such as rape incidence against women were minimized by ensuring that women did not walk out of the house without being in company of male counterparts. Wearing of burga (clothes that covered women’s entire body from head to toe) imposed by Taliban also helped with reducing rape incidences. Those found guilty of violating Taliban laws were thoroughly punished by religious police. Cases of children being used as sex slaves also reduced tremendously (Mason, 102). Taliban advocated for basic and isolationist plan for Muslims. Their driving force was to set up according to them, the purest Islam abiding state. They would do so by getting rid of things which would corrupt the generation’s minds such as television, internet, cinema and music amongst others. Taliban confiscated such material and destroyed them publicly (Barth, 35). Taliban regime generated a lot of revenues which the country relied on for its economic survival. Such revenues came from financial support from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, smuggling deals in which they colluded with Pakistan through the Afghanistan trade transit. Taliban also facilitated exportation of opium from Pakistan to the U.S and western part of Europe thereby collecting revenues for their facilitation duty. Other commodities such as germ, minerals and fruits were also smuggled into Pakistan through their help. This was after Taliban realized that Afghanistan was dependant on international support (Mason, 333). Taliban regime ensured essential commodities such as oil and road construction equipments from Pakistan were readily available to support Afghans’ economic growth through infrastructure development. Regions that were controlled by the Taliban such as Kandahar, Ghazni amongst others benefited from reconstruction doing their regime. This left those regions that were not under their control to suffer from brigandage. Weapons that they received from Pakistan made Afghanistan to be safe since Taliban were capable of defending their territories and afghan citizens from external attacks since their armory was constantly stocked with weapons (Miller and Robert, 8). Taliban ruling era discouraged production of drugs such as opium. They made it clear to farmers that growing of opium and other drugs would result into their burial on the same piece of land. In addition they urged farmers to instead utilize their piece of land by growing other crops rather than drugs. For those who were found growing such plants had they cut down, this was to discourage those who would be intending to venture into such activities (Mason, 112). This was because of the negative impact of drugs on those who indulge in their abusive use. Despite all the efforts made by Taliban to improve the living standards, security and uphold the moral status of the Afghanistan people, critics believed that Taliban were not justified to regain control of Afghanistan at any cost. The critics based their arguments on ideas and information they received from the media and human rights group reports. Relying on the United Nations report, critics argued that close to 90% of Afghan women were victims of domestic abuse during the Taliban regime. According to some analysts, the number could have been higher making Afghanistan one of the insecure destinations in the world for women. Taliban came up with resolutions which made women to undergo a lot of physical, mental and social torture. Women were subjected to restrictions such as total ban working outside home. This would mean double tragedy to career women such as engineers, teachers and doctors. Only some few women doctors were allowed to work in selected hospitals in Kabul (Skaine, 13). Women were not to be seen outside the house without company of male counterpart(s) among other demeaning restrictions. Taliban rules on women became so insensitive to humanity to an extent of barring women from receiving treatment from male doctors. Female doctors were not an exception; the ban meant leaving out close to half the population without proper medical care in all perspectives. This was an equivalent of endeavored execution of gender. Even those who claimed to be God fearing never had the respect for God’s greatest creation-women. This would mean that any attempt to allow the Taliban rule back into Afghanistan would be a clear betrayal of Afghan women. The crucial gains that have been made since Taliban defeat would be watered down taking Afghanistan to its dark past days (Skaine, 10). According to critics, ban on education for women during Taliban regime resulted into a drop in Afghanistan economic growth prospects. On the contrary, other Islamic countries where women had the opportunity to receive education and work, lots of developments were realized since such women would contribute greatly to their country’s economy. It is worth noting that speedy developments were realized in Afghanistan as a result of women being allowed back to schools after Taliban’s defeat (Skaine, 132). Therefore coming back of Taliban will be disastrous to Afghanistan which still in dire need of development in close to all its economic sectors. During the Taliban era, formal economic activities experienced a downward trend in most part of Afghanistan that was under Taliban’s control with the rural areas being the most affected. The situation was agitated by continuous fighting and road blocks that were being raised by commanders in areas which were anti-Taliban rule (Skaine, 72). The swelling numbers of girls who are already in school now would be thrown out and be reduced to house wives. Such schools would be turned back into Islamic seminaries as was done during their reign (Skaine, 134). Women who are learned and already working would be forced back to their houses and loss their source of livelihood as it was during the Taliban era of ruling. Successful women considered by young girls and women as role models will no longer be vocal in the media, this would therefore mean death to the girl child dreams. The era when women were not allowed to contribute to the society would be reintroduced by the Taliban’s return (Skaine, 130). Return of Taliban control over Afghanistan would mean come back of inhumane acts and/or punishments that women were subjected to when found breaking Taliban laws and restrictions. The inhumane actions and punishments included but not limited to punishment administered in public, women who were found to be owning school where girls learn would be killed in front of her husband, children and relatives, for those who were found trying to escape with a male counterpart who is not her relative, husband or son would be stoned to death for adultery (Skaine, 61). Taliban regime of rule turned Afghanistan into a lawlessness state in that there was no recognized constitution in the country. The same scenario existed for the rule of law and judicial system. Administrations at provincial level were reduced and their functions restricted. Taliban also remained the countries’ sole military force during their ruling period (Barth, 13). Agriculture which was the back bone of Afghanistan’s economy experienced the negative side of Taliban’s rule. Opium poppy cultivation for instance, was the country’s leading foreign exchange earner therefore banning its cultivation by Taliban led to a drop in the country’s foreign exchange income. The agricultural sector continued facing hard time as a result of persistent civil war caused by Taliban forces (Mason, 69). Existence of civil wars that was common during the Taliban regime, reconstruction of irrigation systems was hindered, repair of infrastructure such as roads to the markets and replanting of orchards in certain areas. Land mines which were implanted on the ground limited areas to be cultivated and discouraged refugees who were willing to come back and help in rebuilding the country through agriculture (Mason, 46). Afghan citizen’s dream of rebuilding their lives and forging forward to a brighter future will be shuttered by Taliban return that will impose rules that scares afghan citizen to other countries they consider safe. Most of Afghan citizens described the Taliban rule as one that turned their country into a prison. Influx of immigrants to Afghanistan would be reversed as most people took off to neighboring countries in search of peaceful life because of fearing Taliban rule. Many lives were lost during the Taliban regime of civil wars. With this and much more, critics argue that at no incidence are Taliban justified regaining back control over Afghanistan and its people (Mason, 107). Conclusion Weighing out the impacts of Taliban rule to Afghans be it positive and negative, it is quite evident that Afghans and Afghanistan as a country still needs the Taliban rule if they are to realize development in all aspects of life. The Taliban rules despite being dehumanizing especially on women, they turned effective in sustaining a safer, drug free and morally upright Afghan society. The above mentioned benefits amongst other bring reality to the reasoning that Afghanistan needs to surrender power back to the Taliban. Work cited Barth, Kelly. The rise and fall of the Taliban. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Print. Mason, Whit. The rule of law in Afghanistan: missing in inaction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Skaine, Rosemarie. The women of Afghanistan under the Taliban. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2002. Miller, Laurel, and Robert Perito. Establishing the rule of law in Afghanistan. Washington, DC: U.S. Institute of Peace, 2004. Skaine, Rosemarie. Women of Afghanistan in the post-Taliban era: how lives have changed and where they stand today. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 2008. Giustozzi, Antonio. Decoding the New Taliban. New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 2011. Read More