SPEAKING FREELY
How the Taliban won the cultural war
By Tafhim Kiani
One main factor behind the resilience of the Taliban is their ability
to frame their narrative in such a way that it has a resonance with
the people, particularly in the Pashtun areas of Afghanistan.
Over and above their more resourceful and militarily sophisticated
foes, within Afghanistan it is the Taliban who are able to define the
current conflict and give it meaning through their understanding of
the Afghan culture, history and people. They do this by manipulating events, and overplaying their own
strengths and the failures of the Afghan government and its foreign
supporters.
The Taliban have long recognized that in order to win
this war, they do not need to defeat their enemy but rather just
survive. Thus they are able to mount operations that although are not
tactically devastating to their opponents, on a strategic level are
proving to be successful.
Through these operations, the Taliban are able to
frustrate the enemy by overstating their inability to establish control
over Afghanistan, while simultaneously exaggerating their own
strengths by striking at will.
Instances of civilian casualties are used as a means of
gaining sympathy and support for their movement. The Taliban have
aimed to define this war as one that is being fought by Afghan
nationalists following in the paths of their forefathers defending
their territory from yet another foreign invader, and a religious war
of mujahideen against crusading armies that have attacked Afghanistan
under a larger context of subduing the Muslim lands across the world.
To many outside observers, the notion that the Taliban
place large emphasis on public relations and their framing and counter
framing processes might seem somewhat counterintuitive, as Taliban
treatment of women, suicide bombings, harsh interpretation of the
Sharia and other such matters do not instinctively shout out
popularity.
However, this is yet another area of difference
between the Taliban and the ISAF and US forces. The Taliban have
little concern with world opinion, particularly that of non-Muslims. But
they know that to win the war, they must have support of the local
people in general and the Pashtun in particular and hence have focused
almost their entire public relations and propaganda campaign on this
target audience.
The ISAF and US forces on the other hand have shown
little interest in actively trying to win over public support in
Afghanistan on a micro level. ISAF and US forces have been very
careful in limiting collateral damage, but they have shown little
knowledge of local languages, cultures or traditions and little regard
for resentment that is being created due to acts such as night raids
into Afghan houses, attacks on wedding ceremonies and the presence of
luxurious military bases where from an Afghan vantage point, troops
seem to live in decadent Western lifestyles.
In 2010, Shukria Barakzai, a Pashtun MP and leading
women's right campaigner was quoted as saying, "I changed my view [of
the Taliban] three years ago when I realized Afghanistan is on its
own…It's not that the international community doesn't support us.
They just don't understand us. The Taliban are part of our population.
They have different ideas – but as democrats we have to accept
that". [1]
The traditional concept of government in Afghanistan
is different to that of the West. In Afghanistan, government has
traditionally belonged to that faction or party that can take it by
force. Legitimacy has come not through representing the people, but
through other acts, such as the provision of peace, stability and
justice in society. [2]
Religiosity and tribalism
Today, many from the outside might see the dark side
of Taliban religiosity as tribal Islam. However, the Taliban were in
fact a rejection of Afghan tribalism.
Afghan society is a mix of tribal structures and
religious values. If Afghan tribal structures form a vertical axis
within the Afghan community, then religion can be seen to spread
horizontally across society. Hence the Taliban were able to free
themselves from the tribal nature of Afghanistan, yet still maintain a
strong Afghan identity. In fact, the Taliban do not speak of either
their Pashtun identity or a global Islamic identity, and instead they
present themselves as Afghan Muslims.
This is also becoming apparent within their
organizational structure. Even though most of their high-ranking
officials and regional commanders are Pashtun, they have started
appointing deputy district governors and district level military
chiefs, which allow them the opportunity for making more ethnically
balanced appointments. [3]
>> http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/SOU-01-160514.html <<
[sidebar: INTERNET. Experiencing the internet has been very painful for the Americans and yes, certainly THE TALIBAN, ET AL.
The leveling of the criminal insanity (NOT IN BALANCE BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION COLLECTIVELY, AS YET), is being demonstrated slowly, but surely.
People that live in earth can now in great numbers understand what has happened to life, in earth. LIFE IN EARTH was stolen and the thieves are also now known in the few, but also many, that are behaving as predatory criminally insane. The so-called few have been at making up what life is, in earth.
THE TALIBAN & SUN TZU, the reality found is that, to not war especially among those that are not predatory, is the best path in being human in earth.
INTERNATIONAL BANKERS' and GOVERNMENTS, all got together this time in the modern digital age. Figuring out how to evolve with their slaves and yet keeping the slaves as slaves. Problem solving and goal seeking is the brain's job. The LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD decided to decide. But, as with decisions, too many heads in the war room makes for war in that small room of deciders of war, too.
What is real clear now: Mr. President Obama isn't world worshiped almighty leader, and the American facade has faded. AGENDA 21, was and is about the same ole programming, which always gets caught one way or another and then, pivot alright. A Paradigm Shift, also said to happen, and in the story of Afghanistan & The Taliban, appears the natural law is real.
The World has decided. The decisions aren't about having the United States of America and ITS' owner/s (City of London and State of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Et Al), as the almighty worshiped GOD$, OF PLANET EARTH.
POLICE IT GULAG ISRAEL EU USA SAUDI ARABIA ET AL GLOBAL: DEFEATED!
Obviously the devil is in those details always lurking here-there-everywhere, can't exactly kill imagination. Balance is the key, and that tool to unlock the mystery is now being understood, via the internet providing at long-last a second chance to be enlightened.
THERE IS A REAL DEVIL IN THE DETAIL/$ HERE: When the reality is realized in the predatory criminally insane, then expect the world earth to perhaps reach once again back into a stone age of sorts, and that's not an impossibility. Dangerous are these criminally insane predatory that can't control killing and torture and sex traffic of children and the acts of heinousness are known now because of the internet and the turning back of the 'consciousness shift' isn't going to be. Thus, reality? Nuclear is a lust that maybe can't be controlled anymore than the lust we've witnessed to-date.
.. to be continued ...] |
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