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.