Afghanistan Labyrinth: Is there a way to Reform?
The West (US and NATO), after two decades of misadventure in Afghanistan at the cost of thousands deaths, millions wounded, trillions of dollars spending and taking the country’s infrastructure in the Stone Age has ultimately decided to exit from Afghanistan on September 11, 2021, the anniversary of 9/11. United States, due to her affluence, hubris and military superiority did not learn from the history of Afghans that no power on the earth had even been successful in subduing them. They remain proud and honorable tribal people who are comfortable with their own traditional, conservative and religious norms and will only change at their own terms with their own pace.
Western forces may introduce reforms for positive changes, but only through peer-to-peer consultation to promote education, health, development and infrastructure building: all through locals’ consent and participation. The degree, pace, timing and extent of changes have to be determined by the locals and not to be dictated by foreigners, irrespective of latter’s resourcefulness and military might. Key measures have to be organic where the village elders and religious scholars would be pivotal to play decisive role in their design and implementation.
For example, take the case of girls’ higher education and their participation in job market. First, one has to bring consensus amongst Afghan religious scholars what Islam allows and what forbids them about the role of girls and women in a modern society. They have to agree on some key strategic points and then bring them to village elders or panchayat to seek their approval and implementation mechanism as deemed conducive in local environment.
The country is basically divided into two camps: one who wants dominance of conservative Islamic traditions (Taliban) and the other, mostly in capital and large cities (Afghan government), who has western outlook and foreigners’ supports (call them modern). What however is needed is some degree of patience if we want alliances and trust of conservative camp to move towards modern camp. This will be a slow, painful and time-consuming process, not like instantaneous solution foreseen by the West. Especially young people from the Taliban camp have to decide if, when and to what degree they are willing to accept the modernity of other camp.
About Mahmood Iqbal
An Economist (PhD). Former Principal Economist, The Conference Board of Canada. A Retired Adjunct Professor, Carleton University, Canada. The author of “No PhDs Please: This is Canada.” Besides doing research on serious economic and policy issues for the last 25 years, like to write journalistic pieces on subjects of interest. An amateur Photographer. … Blog appears to be appropriate venue to post my wondering thoughts without any peer pressure and academic review process.
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Originally published at http://ipotpourri.wordpress.com on April 23, 2021.
