Page 1 of 2 INTERVIEW The Father
of the Taliban Maulana Sami
ul-Haq
Maulana Sami ul-Haq is the
director and chancellor of one of Pakistan's
famous madrassas, Darul uloom Haqqania,
Akora Khattak in North West Frontier Province. He
has served in this post since the death of his
father, Maulana Abdul ul-Haq, the founder of
the madrassa, in 1988. Darul uloom Haqqania
is where many of the top Taliban leaders,
including its fugitive chief, Mullah Omar,
attended. It is widely believed that the madrassa
was
the launching pad for the Taliban movement in the
early 1990s, which is why Sami ul-Haq is also
called the "Father of the Taliban". Besides
running his madrassa, Maulana Sami has a
long political history as a religious politician.
He was among the founders of Pakistan's Muttahida
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal coalition of six Islamic
religious parties. He recently spoke with
Jamestown analyst Imtiaz Ali.
Imtiaz Ali: During the
Russian invasion [1980s], the students from your
madrassa were traveling to Afghanistan to
fight, after which most of them were eventually
inducted as governors and administrators in the
Taliban government. Is the same thing continuing
today? Are you still sending people to Afghanistan
for jihad?
Maulana Sami
ul-Haq: No, there were not only Taliban
who took part in jihad. This is an incorrect
assumption, which needs correction. After the
Russian invasion of Afghanistan, people from all
walks of life went to Afghanistan for jihad.
Students from colleges and universities went more
than madrassa students.
IA: But it is an undeniable
fact that students who graduated from your
madrassa played a significant role in the
establishment of the Taliban regime.
SH: Well, the Taliban were
busy in their studies when the factional wars in
Afghanistan reached their climax. Naturally, when
the leaders could not make it, the students had to
come to the rescue of the war-torn country. Thus,
the Taliban rushed back to rescue their country
from the factional fighting. Similarly, when
America attacked Afghanistan in late 2001, the
same event happened - it is understandable that
when infidels attack a Muslim country, then it is
the duty of every Muslim to defend it.
Maulana Sufi Muhammad of
Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat- e-Mohammadi (TNSM) also
took thousands of people for jihad, which was a
commendable action. The US attack on Afghanistan
was a clear act of aggression and terrorism. But
when someone rises up against US aggression, then
he is called a terrorist. It is a strange and
illogical philosophy.
IA:
There were reports that the Taliban leadership had
called for fresh reinforcements in connection with
its spring offensive in Afghanistan. Is this true?
SH: These are just baseless
reports. Had they called on the madrassa
students, they would have called us for the
reinforcements or at least we would know. The
Taliban are not that organized. They are living in
caves. They lack proper communication and
logistics systems, and that is why they do not
want new recruits. The Afghans themselves have
risen up and they are fighting against American
and NATO forces.
IA: If they
would ask you for help, what would be your
reaction?
SH: They would
never ask us. We ourselves have not sent students
before nor will we send them now. It is not our
madrassa policy to do so.
IA: What would you call the
situation in Afghanistan? Is it jihad?
SH: When the red forces of
the Soviet Union entered Afghanistan, it was a war
of independence and we all agreed that it was
jihad. Even the United States had said that the
Russians must be ousted from Afghanistan. When
Russia left, the United States committed the same
aggression. So, the situation is the same. One
infidel force replaced another. No difference at
all. Whether it is Russia or America, it is a
jihad.
IA: Some analysts
call it a Pashtun uprising. What do you think?
SH: It is neither a Pashtun
uprising or a Persian one, or a Sunni uprising or
a Shi'ite one. In fact, the Afghan nation has
risen up against the invaders - the United States
and its allies. It is a war of independence. After
the fall of the Taliban regime, the Afghan people
remained quiescent for two years to see if any
positive change would come into their lives. But
they did not see anything that was promised to
them at the time of the collapsing Taliban regime
and that is why they started this revolt against
the occupied forces. It is now a war of
independence for all Afghans. They want to get rid
of the US-led occupation forces. Terming it only a
Pashtun uprising is a completely incorrect
assumption.
IA: Do you not
consider the Hamid Karzai-led government in
Afghanistan a Muslim government?
SH: We have nothing to do
with the Islam of Karzai. It is not our business
to issue a decree about him being Muslim or
non-Muslim. We just want an end to the suffering
of the Afghan people. We ask the current Afghan
rulers to start negotiations with the Taliban and
other jihadi forces to pave the way for a durable
peace in the war-torn country.
IA: It does not matter to
you, then, if there is a Karzai-led government or
the Taliban, just as long as it is an Afghan
government?
SH: We say that
there should be no foreign interference in
Afghanistan, and the Afghans themselves should
come up with a solution. All the factions - the
leaders, the Taliban, the jihadi forces - should
come forward and work together for peace. They
should decide their fate in the absence of foreign
interference. But I firmly believe that there is
no chance for peace and stability in Afghanistan
until the presence of foreign troops is removed.
IA: What are your thoughts
on the flow of fighters between Afghanistan and
Pakistan over the Durand Line?
SH: Like I said earlier, it
is an Afghan uprising against foreign invaders and
it has nothing to do with cross-border terrorism
and the flow of fighters from Pakistan.
IA: Why, then, has the
government decided to fence and plant mines on the
Pakistani side of the border? Do you approve of
that?
SH: I oppose this plan
because the Pashtun nation on both sides of the
border shares cultural, racial and religious
values. Their lives are intertwined. They are all
Muslims. They are one nation. Fencing the border
will not solve the problem. The main reason behind
the tension on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border is
the presence of US-led foreign troops in
Afghanistan. The day they leave Afghanistan, there
will be no tension at all.
IA: With the ban on foreign
students' admission in the religious seminaries in
2003 by the government, has enrollment of the
students changed in your madrassa?
SH: That ban is a total
violation of our fundamental rights. People from
here go to the United States and the United
Kingdom for studies. Similarly, students from
other countries come to Pakistan for education.
That was a kind of service we were providing to
Muslim students from other countries. But this ban
is an unconstitutional, inhumane and unlawful act.
The government has taken this step only to appease
the United States and its other Western masters.
It is a shame for us because India is a secular
country, but has been issuing visas to students
from all Muslim countries who want to come to
India for education.
IA: But
there have been accusations that terrorists are
being trained here in the madrassas.
SH: This is nothing more
than an example of the perpetual propaganda
against the madrassa system. This is what
we have been hearing, but so far no one has
produced any solid evidence.
IA:
The mystery has always been shrouded by
the lack of an audit of the money being received
by madrassas, correct?
SH: We are not bound by the
government to audit our funding system because
they do not give us any money. First, let them
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