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Afghan violence linked to Hizbut
Tehrir
By B Raman
"This is the biggest protest campaign
in Afghanistan since the ouster of the Taliban
regime [in 2001]. This is bloody, widespread and
countrywide.This also shows that they are fed up
with the United States and they just needed a
spark to vent their feelings."
-
Rahimullah Yusufzai, a Pakistani
journalist who is considered an authority on the
tribal areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, on May
12.
Yusufzai was talking about the violent
anti-US and anti-Hamid Karzai demonstrations
sweeping across Afghanistan since May 10, in
protest against the alleged desecration of the
Holy Koran by US guards at the Guantanamo Bay camp
in Cuba, where about 500 Afghans, Pakistanis and
other Muslims have been detained by the US
authorities without trial and without giving them
any right of access to human-rights organizations.
The demonstrations, often culminating in violence,
which started at Jalalabad near the Pakistan
border, have since spread to the northern provinces
of Parwan, Kapisa and Takhar, Laghman in the
east, Logar and Khost in the southeast and the southern
province of Kandahar. It also spread to Kabul
itself on May 12. According to the latest
reports, 10 out of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan
have been affected by the demonstrations and the
resulting violence. The anger of the demonstrators
has been directed not only against the US and
President Karzai of Afghanistan, but also against
Pakistan and the United Nations and Western
non-governmental organizations functioning from
Afghanistan. Their offices have been attacked,
causing considerable property damage everywhere.
Though no fatalities have been inflicted
on the security forces by the demonstrators, seven
civilians have so far been killed and over 80
injured as a result of firing by Afghan and
American security forces to disperse the
demonstrators. Reports of the demonstrations
received from several towns indicate the following
common features:
The students spearheaded the demonstrations,
in which a large number of educated people
participated.
The demonstrations were not spontaneous. They
had been well-prepared, and were well organized
and well orchestrated. Groups of students went
from town to town instigating the local students
to take to the streets.
The demonstrators were not armed and confined
their protests to shouting anti-US and anti-Karzai
slogans, burning American and Pakistani flags and
effigies of President George W Bush, Karzai and
Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf and
attacking properties like buildings and vehicles.
The demonstrations were not instigated by the
Taliban or the Hizb-e-Islami of Gulbuddin
Hekmatyar or al-Qaeda. However, elements from the
Taliban and the Hizb, who were taken by pleasant
surprise by the students taking to the streets,
subsequently joined them.
Many members of the police and the
newly-raised Afghan army showed sympathy for the
demonstrators and were reluctant to use force
against them when ordered to do so by their senior
officers.
Reports from Afghan sources
indicate that the demonstrations have been
organized by the Hizbut Tehrir (HT) and not by the
Taliban, the Hizb or al-Qaeda. While one was aware
of some HT activities in the student community in
Afghanistan, the extent of its penetration not
only in the student community, but also in the
Afghan security forces, has come as a surprise.
In their preoccupation with fighting their
so-called "war against al-Qaeda", the Taliban and
the Hizb, American intelligence agencies and
security forces seem to have remained oblivious of
the subterranean activities of the HT, and have
consequently been taken totally by surprise.
B Raman is additional secretary
(retired), cabinet secretariat, government of
India, New Delhi, and, presently, director,
Institute for Topical Studies, Chennai, and
distinguished fellow and convener, Observer
Research Foundation, Chennai Chapter. Email:
itschen36@gmail.com
(Copyright 2005 B
Raman) |
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