By: Asem Mustafa Awan
Today is Ashura, the tenth of the first month of the Islamic (lunar) calendar Muharram-ul-Harram. On this day in the field of Karbala, Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS), beloved grandson of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) decided to be the voice of truth come what may. Karbala has descended into Muslim societies as a metaphor for the perseverance of belief. By sacrificing infants to the eldest of his companions, Hussain (AS) has established a portrait of self-determination for the times to come. He allowed nothing to become an excuse for giving up his religious liberties and stood firm to the end in front of unprecedented cruelty. The message and example of Hussain (AS) in Karbala is beacon of hope and peace for true believers in today’s world.
People fighting for self-determination anywhere in the world from Palestine to Kashmir and from Afghanistan to Iraq can draw lessens and guidelines from the sacrifices of Karbala. People across the globe, irrespective of their creed, colour, and religion mourn martyrdom of Imam Hussain and his companions because they set such an example of sacrifice and resolve that was never done before in the history of mankind.
Above all other goodwill gestures the Taliban gave out after taking over Kabul, they have not only allowed mourning processions but have also attended certain Shia gatherings to maintain an atmosphere of sectarian harmony during Muharram. A gesture that is the key for building the confidence in Shia community who is a minority in Afghanistan and for decades are considered as the staunch rivals of the sect the Taliban follow.
Taliban who represent Sunni sect and speak Dari/ Pashto, unlike the Shia minority which speaks Persian who played in the hands of the foreign powers which added fuel to their linguistic divide and this claimed thousands of lives along with millions displaced.
Taliban taking the control of Afghanistan have held meetings with Abdullah Abdullah, Hamid Karzai minus the runaway President Ashraf Ghani fleeing with loads of money and took refuge in Tajikistan first and later was allowed to be in United Arab Emirates along with his family on humanitarian grounds.
Taliban’s political acumen is lauded globally as they are trying to build the nation which has been destroyed with four decades of war.
Unlike the haste of last time in accepting the regime of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the government of Pakistan this time has decided to take a multilateral stance in recognizing the new government in the war-torn country. Of course, as a responsible member of the international community, Pakistan must consult its friendly countries on certain issues. Prime Minister Imran Khan has spoken to the leaders of Britain, Denmark, Germany and Turkey that there is no problem in recognizing the Taliban if they form a government with the terms agreed in the peace agreement. However, Pakistan and its friends should not delay their decision so much that separatist groups become active in filling the void left by the absence of a legitimate government. Such delays carry a danger that the Afghan soil becomes a center of new unrest for the entire region.
