The Taliban right now are saying the following:
– Women can get an education all the way to college and to continue to work. Wear the hijab-Qatar or Iran style- but no burqa needed. Women’s rights within the limits of “Islamic law.”
– No enemies, no threats, no revenge. This is a complete break with the Pushtun code of conduct. There is a general amnesty for all who worked for the NATO system including translators.
– Taliban special security forces will protect both those leaving Afghanistan and those who remain.
– Inclusive government which means women and Shiites will be part of it.
– Foreign media allowed along with public criticism and debate but as stated under Islamic law and values. The Taliban said it took only 11 days to take over due to “very good relations with Pakistan, Russia and China.”
What will please everyone most is that they have promised not to let its soil be used for “international terrorists” and opium and heroin growing will be banned.
Moscow and Beijing show?
Moscow and Beijing are reportedly managing the Taliban public image building and policy statements. It’s interesting because this means both Russia and China can work together on a mega project like establishing the government there. Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special presidential envoy for Afghanistan, says, “we see no direct threat to our allies in Central Asia. There are no facts proving otherwise. We have long been in talks with the Taliban for long…. they have repeatedly confirmed that they have no extraterritorial ambition, they learned the lessons of 2000.”
These contacts were established by all three over the last seven years. The US is focused on trashing the new regime but both Moscow and Beijing are aware of this policy. Chinese media has called the US a “strategic rogue.” It’s part of the new management initiated by them.
To both the countries, their Muslim population matters which is 20 million in Russia and at least 35 million in China. Getting active co-operation of all the parties concerned promise stability because of the large Muslim populations who will now feel less hostile due to support for the Taliban.
The objective is not just reduce hostility between the state governments and the Muslims internally but create a wider Central Asia stretch loyal Muslim population. That would mean leadership of almost 100 million Muslim people which is considered vulnerable to militancy. Muslims have generally felt left out and in both China and Russia, relationships need improvement.
China and Russia by helping out the Taliban have already won friends inside their own domain as the US presented them as women hating, minority hating people. It fuelled not just anti-Taliban sentiments but also anti-Muslim sentiments in general which Western media is still pushing. But now, while the US continues to look like the villain the Sino-Russo alliance looks very pro-Muslim. And that translates into popularity for them in an area they need so security anxiety hence spending will be less.
For the moment it looks like the advantage is with the Taliban and its backers. The US policy in response waits to be seen.
