The Afghan Taliban praised suicide attacks and justified the use of the tactic just days before opening their “political office” in Doha, Qatar that is serving as an unofficial embassy for the group.
On June 12, the Taliban lauded suicide bombings on their website, Voice of Jihad, six days before news of the official opening of their office in Qatar. The article, titled “Let’s Understand ‘Suicide Bombing,'” was written by Taliban officials Ikrimah Anwar and Maulana Muawiya Hussaini.
In the article, Anwar and Hussaini claim to have carried out an “independent, impartial study of what “Suicide Bombing” (“Martyrdom Operations”) really is.” The two Taliban officials then justify the use of suicide bombers by making religious arguments from the Quran and Hadith, as well as the writings of Islamic scholars over the centuries.
The Taliban officials proceed to describe suicide attacks as “heroic operations of the Mujahideen” and recommend that the tactic should be referred to as “martyrdom operations.” They also accuse the media of spreading “false propaganda against martyrdom operations … because the operations have their basis in the Shariah,” or Islamic law.
After a lengthy defense and justification of the use of suicide bombers, Anwar and Hussaini conclude that “‘martyrdom operations’ are one of the greatest of praiseworthy acts in the Shariah if they are carried out according to their conditions, under the guidance of pious Scholars and Mujahideen.”
The Taliban’s release of their justification for suicide attacks, just days before the opening of the political office which has served as their de facto embassy, serves as a further indication that the Taliban have no intention of abandoning the tactic that was introduced into Afghanistan by their ally, al Qaeda.
Nonetheless, the US and the West, which are drawing down forces in Afghanistan, are eager to negotiate a settlement with the Taliban, and have dropped demands that the Taliban first denounce al Qaeda and renounce international terrorism.
The Taliban signaled in early 2012 that they had no intentions of disowning al Qaeda, and refused to denounce international terrorism. A Taliban spokesman even said that al Qaeda is officially operating under the banner of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
“They [al Qaeda] are among the first groups and banners that pledged allegiance to the Emir of the Believers [Mullah Omar, the leader of the Afghan Taliban], and they operate in Afghanistan under the flag of the Islamic Emirate,” a spokesman to jihadist forums known as Abdullah al Wazir said in February 2012.
“They are an example of discipline and accuracy in the execution of missions and operations entrusted to them by the Military Command of the Islamic Emirate,” Wazir continued, calling al Qaeda “lions in war.” [See LWJ report, Al Qaeda ‘operates in Afghanistan under the flag of the Islamic Emirate’: Taliban spokesman, and Threat Matrix report, Taliban expand list of demands, refuse to denounce ‘international terrorism.]’
On July 4, the Taliban issued another statement on Voice of Jihad, essentially defending the creation of the group’s “political office of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” in Qatar, which it claims to have established “to protect the country’s independence and national unity and secure peace and security.”
12 Comments
Well at least ‘they’re’ consistent. Might as well start ‘Flying’ the Hammer & Sickle, reciting quotes from Mao’s Little Red Book, include Trotsky Lenin & Stalin in Friday Prayers & just for ‘kicks’ throw in some scribbles from Juche & Chomsky.
The claim that the Taliban have refused to condemn international terrorism is patently false, as they have consistently condemned the international terrorism of the US wars of aggressions against their own country and Iraq, for example.
The taliban have just raised their attacks to get the upper hand in the talks.
@UNF
a beyond ridiculous comment. How long did it take you to come with ‘this astute’ observation? Before or after the Barbary Coast Wars or the latest ‘Beheading or Bodily Limb Removing Tournament?’
Sounds like there will be no meaningful talks. The Taliban refuses to make any concessions so they will continue to die and they will continue to blindly justify all the deaths with religious mumbo jumbo.
They are just men, not Gods. Someone needs to tell them that and burst the “I am so great” bubble they live in.
@mike merlo-
What has been accomplished through that little rant of yours? Do you not realize how ridiculous you sound when you post anti-communist talking points on a site dealing with Islamic extremism?
@kush dragon
whats ridiculous is people such as yourself unable to make ‘structural’ comparison’s between to two very similar emergent ‘movements. It is no fault of mine that people such as yourself are unable to either comprehend or understand the multitude of existing correlation’s between the Communist Internationale & the Islamic Internationale. You obviously know little of either.
mike merlo – how about you actually provide some sources for these “correlations” of yours. I read this site quite a bit and I can say that you consistently make some of the most illogical and nonsensical comments of anyone posting on this forum. Congratulations.
@mike merlo
are you trying to dispute or rather deflect from the facts I stated?
@kush dragon
I think you’ll find mike’s ‘intelligence sources’ are forced through a low-pass Geller Filter in any case, as befits all products of the Breivik School of Foreign Policy.
@kush dragon
how ’bout you stop acting so lazy & go research Communism, Islam, & their ‘histories.’
Some recognized “correlations” for you to ‘focus’ on in your pursuit of ‘self enlightenment’:
*Aspirations of a Totalitarian/Dictatorial form of Governance
*Exploitation of local, ethnic, etc., sentiments
*Institutionalization of an Extrajudicial Legal System subject to personal interpretation & abuse
*Centralized economic & financial system
*Ideological Platform allowing for no ‘views’ or positions contraire to the ‘staked out platform.’ No exceptions unless proffered forth and or ‘articulated’ by ‘The State’ itself
*All other forms of Governance to be ostracized & categorized as threats and or enemies of the ‘State’
*Dissenting ‘views’ & opinions to be silenced and or demonized
*An Institutionalized ‘Monotheistic,’ including dogma & doctrine, paradigm subsuming individuals, groups, all manners of Governance & behavior(s) within ‘its’ definition of itself
*Representative Governance not to be tolerated. ‘State’ to decide the ‘parameters’ of individual & social expression(s) & behavior(s)
*Willingness to use murder, terror, ‘denials’ & other forms of ‘deprivation’ to achieve/attain/maintain goals & objectives
*Willingness to use the above ‘techniques’ & ‘methodologies’ sow division, chaos & undermine ‘social order’
*A restrictive ideology narrowly defined & subject to personal interpretation as those in charge ‘see fit’
*Faith based activity to be regulated, monitored, controlled & subject to abuse & manipulation
*Ideological/Religious tenets tend to be loosely ‘moored’ & ‘Rejectionist’ trending towards ‘Fundamentalism,’ ‘Conservatism’ & Absolutism
The above are just a few of a constellation of examples of shared similarities of the Communist Internationale & ‘todays’ Islamic Internationale
While much of Europe & Communism’s future ‘clients,’ acolytes, practitioners, etc., were a result of The Age of Enlightenment present Islamic ideological ‘leanings’ are the result of an expansionist then ebbing of Mongolian invasions & occupations; Ottoman suzerainty; European Imperialism, both rise & decline.
For lack of a better definition/explanation this latest expression of Muslim ‘Will’ is the ‘end result ‘ of what I categorize as an Age Of Religious Revivalism
An ‘Age Of Enlightenment’ has & will continue to envelope the Muslim Ummah throughout the course of this century with a likely continued ‘expansion’ & ‘settling’ at some time during the next century
I am closing this comment thread, and future personal attacks from all will not be published. Read the comments policy.