DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - As Refugees Flee Islamists in Mali, Solutions Are Elusive

**Olphander** · 07-16-2012, 09:10 PM

I agree with this sober analysis -we should treat the Taliban as a peculiar tribalistic movement in the context of Afghan politics. BUT they are not an example to be followed because they cannot build a country, they can only at best quell tribal conflicts and provide enough for a very basic feudalistic, warlord society. Their methodology has nothing to offer to a country like Egypt or Turkey. They are best seen as a movement of tribal vigilantism that is reacting to a harsh and unforgiving environment.

The Taliban do not have a global message for the Ummah - they should be just seen as a sad and tragic reaction to the brutal social context of Afghanistan - but that does not mean they are the Islamic ideal.

By all means provide contextualised, nuanced and historical analyses of the Taliban just don't hold them up as anything more than tribal vigilantes.

Then what is wrong if the Taliban come back into power now? Afghanistan is the same country as it always was, with warlords running the show, opium trade back to its high outputs, homosexuality and fornication making a comeback, etc.

If Afghanistan had a viable economy, a civil society, then the Taliban would have obviously taken a different route. They had to work with what was available to them, which was basically nothing but the help from Allah

. They were a heavily sanctioned country to begin with, with only the Saudis and Pakistan willing to do any trade with Afghanistan. Even now, what does Afghanistan actually offer the world in terms of economy? A democracy would never work there because of the culture that exists therein, but the Americans are too foolish to realize this. The only options that may work would be absolute monarchies or the rule of the Taliban, which was extremely efficient in getting the country under control. Afghanistan is like a wild lion that needs to be tamed. You don't tame a lion by speaking to it. No government has existed ever since the British were defeated that has been able to control the country and bring law to it except the Taliban.

A similar situation was seen in Somalia, when the Islamic Courts ruled over the country. An extremely lawless country had become extremely law abiding practically overnight but then, the deposed leader called on his masters who then invaded and removed the Islamic Courts within a short period of time - and then, lawlessness returned. The first priority of any government in a country like Afghanistan and Somalia is to get the country under control, to control and eliminate criminal activity, not giving spineless speeches and preaching democracy.

07-16-2012, 09:10 PM	#25
Olphander Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 621 Senior Member	I agree with this sober analysis -we should treat the Taliban as a peculiar tribalistic movement in the context of Afghan politics. BUT they are not an example to be followed because they cannot build a country, they can only at best quell tribal conflicts and provide enough for a very basic feudalistic, warlord society. Their methodology has nothing to offer to a country like Egypt or Turkey. They are best seen as a movement of tribal vigilantism that is reacting to a harsh and unforgiving environment. The Taliban do not have a global message for the Ummah - they should be just seen as a sad and tragic reaction to the brutal social context of Afghanistan - but that does not mean they are the Islamic ideal. By all means provide contextualised, nuanced and historical analyses of the Taliban just don't hold them up as anything more than tribal vigilantes. Then what is wrong if the Taliban come back into power now? Afghanistan is the same country as it always was, with warlords running the show, opium trade back to its high outputs, homosexuality and fornication making a comeback, etc. If Afghanistan had a viable economy, a civil society, then the Taliban would have obviously taken a different route. They had to work with what was available to them, which was basically nothing but the help from Allah . They were a heavily sanctioned country to begin with, with only the Saudis and Pakistan willing to do any trade with Afghanistan. Even now, what does Afghanistan actually offer the world in terms of economy? A democracy would never work there because of the culture that exists therein, but the Americans are too foolish to realize this. The only options that may work would be absolute monarchies or the rule of the Taliban, which was extremely efficient in getting the country under control. Afghanistan is like a wild lion that needs to be tamed. You don't tame a lion by speaking to it. No government has existed ever since the British were defeated that has been able to control the country and bring law to it except the Taliban. A similar situation was seen in Somalia, when the Islamic Courts ruled over the country. An extremely lawless country had become extremely law abiding practically overnight but then, the deposed leader called on his masters who then invaded and removed the Islamic Courts within a short period of time - and then, lawlessness returned. The first priority of any government in a country like Afghanistan and Somalia is to get the country under control, to control and eliminate criminal activity, not giving spineless speeches and preaching democracy.
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