Milena Rampoldi, ProMosaik, 22/8/2021
Afghanistan is an Islamic society, a mosaic of numerous cultures, languages, ethnic groups, and dialects. It is a land rich in natural resources, which is why Afghanistan is the target of foreign empires that want to control this wealth. When these "empires" withdraw, radical groups inside the country take control. That happened after the fall of the Soviet Union, and it is happening again today after the U.S. empire left.
The “Taliban”, who with no official authority call themselves representatives of Orthodox Islam, are only one small group of this Afghan mosaic, an ethnic, nationalist movement of the Pashtuns that took state power during the post-Soviet power vacuum. Thanks to links with arms dealers and smuggling networks, the group has managed to expand its power. If we look at where the so-called “Taliban” run their centres of power and then examine where the country's mineral resources are to be found, we understand some aspects of this situation, but not everything.
The manipulation of Islam by the “Taliban” and the West’s ignorance of and hostility to Islam together led to the demonization of Islam as a worldview and a way of life. The West posed as the “liberator” of Muslim women in Afghanistan and declared war on the “Taliban” in the name of the liberation of women. What the U.S. empire wants in Afghanistan, however, is control of the mineral resources and -- why not? -- also of the white gold from poppies.
