The return of Talaban is hardly amazing to those who are widely trained in the dynamics and intricacies of Islamic change. It’s not the fitrah of any idea to perish with ease, even with the heat of suppression and consistent persecution by the enemies without; for the reality and strength of a sublime idea is deeply rooted in the heart of its vanguard, just like the root of a baobab tree that is firmly planted, deep down the earth.
You may choose to cut the stem, branches and trunk of a tree, the root would be ever productive. Thus, the sublime idea of Islamic work can only cease with the ascendancy of the word of Allah. In every oppressive clime, the dawah of change is a resistant idea, scrupulously nurished with contextual interpretations of the Quran and Sunnah.
The truth is that the Islamic movement grows faster but stealthily in the silent moment of persecution. It’s a continuous effort (عمل متواصل); the goal (غاية) of which, for each individual, is the pleasure of Allah and the objective (هدف ) of which remains the enthronement of Allah’s rule. In 1948, when the movement was declared dead with the demise of Al-Bannah, it later re-emerged in the early 60s with the raging fervour of Sayyid Qutb.
When this sublime idea was also emasculated in the late 60s, it grew again and sprouted with grace in the 70s. With the effect of consistent persecution of those vanguards of change, the world had almost forgotten that anything like a movement had once flourished in Egypt, until the Arab Spring facilitated its rise to power in 2012. This is the fitrah of the work – It’s a die-hard idea.
Even now that the vanguard languish in Egyptian prisons, with many of them on the hang man’s list, the world still earnestly awaits the dawn of re-awakening – when the leaves of that baobab tree shall sprout again; for certainly, the deeply rooted trees are ever productive!
Harkat Nur of Bediüzzaman Said Nursi was scorned in Turkey in the 50s, but Necmettin Erbakan later emerged in 1996 with a reformist party to enthrone Islam; and when he was pressured by the military to step down from power for islamizing the polity, people lost hope of Islamic reform in the land of Atatürk, until 2003 when Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emerged with his AK Parti, to cause a change.
The Islamic Trend Movement of Rachid Ghannouchi was successfully repressed in the 80s by those in power. Ghannouchi himself was forced into exile in London, with a death sentence hanging on his head. Subsequently, it was as though the movement in Tunisia had completely demised; until 2011, after Twenty Two years in exile, when Ghannouchi landed in Tunis and his Nahdah Movement ruled the country with ease, without firing a shot!
Each time a movement emerges anew after repression, it usually returns in a stronger wave of re-awakening; with a greater strength of moral value; better perception, maturity of ideas, clearer objective and a more refined tactics of change. Often times, it also grows to a qualitative stage, with a sober countenance, having suffered and learnt from the errors of passion at its earlier stage. This is probably what explains the recent approach of the Talaban Movement.
The Talaban, a Movement of some ultra-conservative Madrasah Students who grew up in refugee camps of the neighbouring Pakistan, was brutally repressed by a superior power – the United States – after September 11. It however soothes the hearts of people of moral conscience to know that American soldiers have finally vacated the territory in ignominy.
As the Talabans captured Kabul in a triumphant entry of righteous warriors, which was reminiscent of the holy Prophet Muhammad’s conquest of Makkah in 630AD, it was indeed a day of history for all Muslim enthusiasts. After nearly two decades of war which had claimed more than 6,000 American lives, over 100,000 Afghans and more than $2 trillion spent by the U.S, the tree regrows with ease!
The victory is no more news; and to me, it’s not surprising that the tree regrows. But I still wonder how the new Islamic regime will survive the predictable tension ahead: Western propaganda; unsympathetic postulations of Muslim elites; the textual and also creedal ex-communication by palace scholars of the Arab world, whose jaundiced perception of Islamic movement is always determined by the envious spectacle of their paymasters.
All of these, coupled with the previous frenzy of extremism ignorantly displayed by the movement during its first reign (before the US invasion); and the memory of which had caused and left the phobic reactions in the masses today, may likely contribute to hindering a quick consolidation of its current power. It will, no doubt, be difficult for the Talabans to reign with ease.
They may find themselves in a serious trouble, which may be worse than the previous one. The economy may also be frustrated, for hardly will they get quick access to the Afghan Central Bank’s Vault which is said to hold the foreign currency, gold and other treasures of about $10 billion in assets, and most of which are actually domiciled in foreign reserves.
The fact that the Talaban movement is still on the list of International sanction is a clear indication that the assets may may be frozen. No country can survive in extreme poverty, especially a Muslim theocratic state, in the face of global animosity. This is the truth which, however, I can also challenge with my second perception of this economic threat.
The Taliban is reported to have acquired more than $2.3 billion, with which the war was funded, with millions of this coming from drugs, donations and real estate. Mining of iron ore, marble, copper, gold, zinc and other metals and minerals in the mountains of Afghanistan are said to also earn the the movement an estimated $481 million, according to a Nato report, as companies pay up to keep operating.
Nevertheless, it’s a good move that the Talabans returned; and hopefully, the they would be duly rewarded by Allah for making the move and sacrificing their pleasure to establish His words; but I do not know how realistic is this utopian dream in an unjust world.
Whenever a movement returns to power after repression, it’s usually in a stronger wave of awakening; with a greater strength of dawah value; better perception, maturity of ideas, clearer objective and a more refined tactics of change. Often times, it also grows to a qualitative stage, with a sober countenance, having suffered and learnt from its errors of passion at a formative stage. This is probably what explains the recent approach of the Talabans.
Moreover, now that China woos the movement relentlessly with the sole motive of doing business with it, this may result in greater financial opportunities for the movement. Afghanistan has quite a lot of natural resources, especially lithium which is used in batteries and iron ore. But even if the prospect of economic challenges are removed, how will the Talabans rule the masses who failed to celebrate their truimphant return?
How will they rule a country, which citizens had fearlessly clung to the ascending plane in fear of their (Talabans) arrival? It is not wether the initial cacophony has now changed to euphonic rethorics that are pleasant to the ears. It’s also not about promises of press freedom, rights of women and amnesty for all. Even if the Talabans removed their turbans and won the ballots, they’ve committed a crime by thinking of Sharee’ah.
That’s the only crime that is never forgiven in our planet!
Nevertheless, it’s a good move; and hopefully, the Talabans will be duly rewarded by Allah for making the move and sacrificing their pleasure to establish His words; but I do not know how realistic is this utopian dream in an unjust world. May Allah ease their affairs and mine too.
Abu Mazeedatilkhayr Bn Sa’eed is an Author, Publisher, Reseacher & CEO of De-Minaret International, Abuja.
