Lesson from Taliban's fall: Radicalism ends in disgrace
Lesson from Taliban's fall: Radicalism ends in disgrace
Kosasih Derajat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Initially welcomed by many as the liberator of Afghanistan from
local warlords, communist rulers and Soviet Union domination, the
Taliban regime, which came to power in September 1996, received
little sympathy from the international community when it imposed
harsh Islamic law (sharia) on the country.
The Taliban appalled not only millions of the Afghan people
but also the majority of Muslims around the world when they
closed schools for girls and banned women from working outside
their homes and participating in the country's political and
economic life and development.
Only a few Islamic groups in the world -- including those in
the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia -- were supportive of the
Taliban, which never hesitated to resort to violence in pursuing
its political goals.
In fact, Islam and Islamic teaching encourages every Muslim
to adhere to the whole sharia or shari'ah in all aspects of life.
Efforts to implement the law is called jihad, which, derived
from the Arabic word, means "holy struggle to defend truth and
develop the nation and religion by sacrificing one's wealth and
even one's life when necessary".
Unfortunately, jihad is often misinterpreted by some,
including members of the Taliban, as the effort to kill the
unbelievers or infidels.
Being an infidel or being a Muslim is a matter of choice which
is cited in the holy Qur'an as la iqraha fi diin (no coercion in
religion), and lakum diinukum waliya diin (for you your religion,
for us ours).
The Taliban's early radical measures were demonstrated right
after they captured Najibullah, the Soviet-backed Afghan leader,
and then hanged him in public. Had the Taliban truly learned a
lesson from the messenger of Islam, Prophet Muhammad, they would
not have done so.
Prophet Muhammad spared the lives of his archenemies, Abu
Sufyan and his wife, Hindun -- who had brutally murdered the
Prophet's beloved cousin Hamzah -- by forgiving and protecting
the safety of the couple and their followers when his troops
recaptured the infidels' stronghold in Mecca.
There are many groups, like the Taliban, who claim themselves
Muslims but often behave and act in un-Islamic ways. Some of
these groups, using religion for their own political goals, can
also be found in Southeast Asia.
In southern Philippines, the Abu Sayyaf rebels have kidnapped
their fellow countrymen and foreigners for the sake of ransom.
They even killed some of the hostages when the victims' families
refused to pay.
In Malaysia, dozens of members of an Islamic cult waged an
armed revolt to overthrow Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's
government and replace it with an Islamic state.
The Al-Ma'unah sect catalyzed concern over dangers posed by
Islamic extremists when members posing as army officers in July
2000 stole enough weapons from armories to start a small war.
Cultists later killed two hostages before surrendering in a
standoff with security forces.
And here in Indonesia, there were groups of people who, in
Muslim garb, brandished their swords while staging protests in
front of the Merdeka Palace, demanding that the government quell
ethnic and sectarian violence in Ambon and other provinces.
To stage a protest or a demonstration is a common thing in any
democratic country, but allowing protesters to carry swords and
other sharp weapons is surely intolerable for whatever reason,
especially now that Indonesia is moving towards a more democratic
political life.
It is good for Muslims worldwide to share the sufferings of
and help the Afghan people following the U.S.-led attacks and
bombings on Afghanistan. But to support the Taliban regime which
never hesitated to resort to terrorism is a complete fallacy. The
Taliban's radical policy proved to be a failure and the regime
ended in disgrace.
This, perhaps, is a lesson that we Muslims can learn from the
Taliban. Above all, we should realize that Islam is a religion of
peace and tolerance.