Weaponizing Religion In Afghanistan: CPC Designation Highlights Crisis Pakistan Has Long Warned About – OpEd
Therefore, with the recent recommendation by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) that the nation of Afghanistan be listed as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), global focus has shifted once again to the worsening human rights and religious freedoms situation in that nation under Taliban rule. This has highlighted clearly the role that religion has played as a means of authoritarian rule without justice or compassion.
Underlying various USCIRF findings is an alarming governing model premised on an extremist and skewed understanding of Islamic law. In implementing a new penal code, the Taliban has allegedly denied Muslim identity to individuals who do not strictly adhere to the Hanafi school of thought, an approach that undermines an otherwise unified principle of dignity as espoused by Islam. Corporal punishment, public executions, and mass flogging have become synonymous with a governing model that thrives on fear as opposed to correction.
Everyday life in Afghanistan is being controlled by strict ‘morality’ laws. Religious minorities like Shia Muslims, Ahmadis, Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians are under stress and even coercion to embrace the dominant Sunni belief. Muslims who do not subscribe to the mainstream school of thought are also being coerced into compliance. This is not religiosity; rather, it is an attempt to wield power through compliance.
The women and young girls are still at the core of suffering. Restrictions on movement, speech, employment, and, above all, education for girls above the age of 12 have received much condemnation. Almost all religious scholars in the rest of the Islamic world, including Muslims in Pakistan, say women have the right to education, employment, and to move around freely. The policies adopted for Afghanistan seem to be based more on a narrow vision of the world rather than any true religious beliefs.
The role of madrassas and other ideological institutions in shaping the minds of the young also comes under the microscope in the USCIRF report, sparking further concerns for the potential impact of the Taliban’s stewardship and the long-term implications for the very fabric of the country’s social structure and the Taliban’s legacy.
These developments are of major significance to Pakistan. It must be noted that not only is Afghanistan a strategic neighbor to Pakistan but also has centuries-old cultural, religious, and ethnic affinities. Thus, what happens in Afghanistan is bound to have an impact on the region. It is important to note that Pakistan has always supported, and continues to do so, an peaceful, stable, and inclusive Afghanistan as well as its integration into the global community.
Islamabad’s stance has always been pragmatic. Engaging with the situation rather than isolating itself is still the best way to influence positive change. Islamabad has continued to ask the Afghan government to introduce moderate policies, protect the interests of women and minorities, and establish a government based on the diverse social fabric of Afghan society. At the same time, Islamabad has also called on the international community to avoid actions that further impoverish the ordinary citizen of Afghanistan.
The CPC action is a reflection of the emerging global opinion that religious freedom is under severe strain in Afghanistan. To address such a problem, however, requires more than just condemnation.
Pakistan’s own experience with extremism reaffirms the need to challenge the perversion of religious narratives, invest in education, and promote social cohesion and economic opportunities. These lessons seem relevant to Afghanistan too, where religion should inspire mercy and morality, not repression.
While the world is debating how to react best, it is necessary that the focus remain on the Afghan people. Their dreams for a dignified existence, for an education, security, and religious freedom, call for solidarity from around the world. An Afghanistan that is stable, secure, and respects human rights as well as Islamic values in their true essence, is
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