The United States and the Taliban concluded recently an agreement to end the fighting and to start a peace process. If the Taliban will refrain from military attacks in the next days, an agreement would be signed between them and the US. But what kind of peace will be implemented? Who are the winners and who are the victims of such an agreement which would result in the Taliban’s participation in a government of reconciliation? In this respect it was interesting to read an opinion written by the deputy leader of the Taliban, Sirrajudin Haqqani in the New York Times.
Haqquani reacted also to the concerns which have been raised during the Doha talks between the US and the Taliban’s representatives. These concerns came especially from women who experienced extreme discrimination under the Taliban regime. The answer of Haqqini to these concerns was: “ I am confident that, liberated from foreign domination and interference, we together will find a way to build an Islamic system in which all Afghans have equal rights, where the rights of women that are granted by Islam - from the right to education to the right to work - are protected, and where merit is the basis for equal opportunities”.
Compared with the reality under the Taliban regime, this is definitely progress. However, it is noticeable that while speaking about equal rights, Haqqini also underlines that only those rights of women will be safeguarded, which are granted by Islam. Islam, as it is interpreted by the Taliban, is still superior to universal human rights. This is also underlined when Haqqini writes: “We will remain committed to all international conventions as long as they are compatible with Islamic principles”.
It would be illusionary to hope for the establishment of a secular state in Afghanistan. Also, the continuation of the war in Afghanistan could not produce such a state with full recognition of universal rights and equality between men and women. Many more people would be killed. But we have to recognize, that all what the Taliban propose is open to interpretation.
At the end of the day, the implementation depends on those forces inside Afghanistan who continue to struggle for as much equality as possible. And that depends also on the support which they get from outside. Since the immediate neighbors of Afghanistan do not belong to the “progressive” forces, the “West”, especially Europe, should not disengage itself from Afghanistan when the military forces leave. Regardless of the ideology, moral and political struggle is much better than military fights. So let’s hope for peace but also for a fair democratic competition in this war-torn country.
Dr. Hannes Swoboda, President of the International Institute for Peace (IP), started his career in urban politics in Vienna and was elected member of the European Parliament in 1996. He was Vice President of the Social Democrat Group until 2012 und then President until 2014. He was particularly engaged in foreign, enlargement, and neighborhood policies. Swoboda is also President of the Vienna Institute for International Economics, the Centre of Architecture, the University for Applied Science - Campus Vienna, and the Sir Peter Ustinov Institute.