Analysis, Featured, South Asia

Aware Believers Should Never Succumb to the Enemies Trap Twice

On March 4, 2020, the US military said that it had undertook an airstrike against Taliban forces, just days after signing a historic peace deal with the militant group. In a tweet, US military representative Colonel Sonny Legget said it was a “defensive strike” to counter an assault on government forces in Afghanistan. This was the first US strike on Taliban forces in 11 days. The two parties had agreed to reduce violence in the lead up to signing the peace deal this past weekend. [Source: DW]

Comment:

The US has never been a reliable partner. Under Trump, the US reneged on the Iran nuclear, despite stiff opposition from the EU, China and Russia to maintain course. The deal agreed by Obama is widely regarded as the best way to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambition. However, Trump wants to tie Iran’s regional behaviour and its nuclear programme into a single deal. The main benefactor is the Jewish state and not America.

The US also pulled out of the INF Treaty with Russia on the pretext that Moscow had undermined the treaty. America’s main reason behind the withdrawal is to produce a next generation of smart nuclear weapons to counter China’s military ascendency.

On the future of the planet, America upended decades of pro-climate posturing by retreating from the Paris Accords. Trump believes that climate change is a hoax, and the unpredictable weather sweeping is a passing fad.

Predictably, the US violated its agreement with the Taliban, and many observers are speculating that the agreement will not last, and US troops will remain in the country post 2021.

In the light of the above, one has to ask what compelled the Taliban to fashion a deal with country that has a long history of reneging on agreements? In particular, Taliban possessed the upper hand and bled America dry with a thousand cuts. Allah (swt) says: فَلَا تَهِنُوا وَتَدْعُوا إِلَى السَّلْمِ وَأَنتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ وَاللَّهُ مَعَكُمْ وَلَن يَتِرَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ “So do not weaken and call for peace while you are superior; and Allah is with you and will never deprive you of [the reward of] your deeds.” [47:35]

It appears that Taliban’s staunchest partner the Pakistani leadership coerced the movement into accepting humiliating terms and propping up Trump’s faltering election campaign. Khan publicly claims that he is the champion of Islam, but in practice, he has betrayed the Taliban and sacrificed their battlefield gains in return for Trump’s election glory. Allah (swt) says: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاء تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِم بِالْمَوَدَّةِ وَقَدْ كَفَرُوا بِمَا جَاءكُم مِّنَ الْحَقِّ يُخْرِجُونَ الرَّسُولَ وَإِيَّاكُمْ أَن تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ رَبِّكُمْ “O you who have Iman, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection while they have disbelieved in what came to you of the truth, having driven out the Prophet and yourselves [only] because you believe in Allah, your Lord.” [60:1]

Any Pakistani with a modicum of common can see that America is a backstabbing enemy of Pakistan and on the verge of a catastrophic defeat in Afghanistan. Yet the Pakistani civil and military leadership ignored this fact and decided to throw a lifeline to America.

Muslims of Afghanistan and Pakistan will never find peace, as long as they tolerate leaders who openly betray Allah and his messenger. The only solution to this predicament is to re-establish the rightly guided Khilafah Rashidah (rightly guided Caliphate). Allah (swt) says: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُم لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ “Oh you who have Iman, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life.” [8:24]

 

Abdul Majeed Bhatti