Are the Taliban really trying to be a kinder, gentler entity? Reuters provides a reminder of the reality of the Taliban:
Taliban fighters opened fire, hurled grenades and staged suicide bombings in central Kabul yesterday, killing at least 16 people in defiance of the Western-backed government and a NATO offensive.
An Italian diplomat and Indian government officials were killed in the assault, the governments said.
Also among the dead were eight Afghans, including three police officers, the Afghan Interior Ministry said. The French Foreign Ministry said one French national had been killed and India’s foreign ministry said up to nine Indians were killed ….
And the Taliban’s religious legitimacy? This, from analyst Thomas Ruttig in response to the latest Taliban mass attack in Kabul:
Where are those Taliban who have argued a few years ago that the massive use of suicide bombers and the killing of scores of Afghan civilians are ‘un-Islamic’? And where are their ‘Islamic’ credentials when they cause such an atrocity on Muhammad’s birthday, one of the holiest days in Muslims’ calendar?
Indeed.
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4 Comments
Actually, Mawlid is not an Islamic holy day. It was never practiced in the beginning of Islam, but it was invented later on, like many other things.
For conservative Muslims, the Salafis and of course the Taliban, celebrating this day is an innovation, and therefor the argument that it is ‘unislamic’ for them to strike on this day is null and void.
Pakistan’s ISI. Pakistan’s ISI & Pakistan’s ISI is behind this, as they are the most insecure group of people on earth. They are hell afraid of arm-less Indian kids doctors & nurses & French Photographers.
When you start losing your main source of income, opium from the Helmand province, you are going to break rules. These events may happen more frequently now that ISAF is on a strong offensive in one of the remaining Taliban strongholds.
Just to clarify, under the Taliban’s austere interpretation of Islam (Deobandi/Salafi/Wahabbi mix), the birthday of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is not an occasion for remembrance, let alone celebration. The purtanistic Taliban consider remembrance of this holiday (which is celebrated in most of the Muslim world) as an “innovation,” which is heretical, not a holy day.