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The United States’ new Afghanistan policy focuses on targeting Al Qaeda and ensuring that attacks against the West are stopped. As part of the new strategy, the US is planning to engage Taliban militants who have comparatively moderate views and are willing to lay down their arms.
According to US National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones, moderate Taliban include those militants who are willing to participate in the political process ‘without violence and without terror and without causing breaches in the security of either [Pakistan or Afghanistan].’
How would you define a ‘moderate’ Taliban? Is there such a thing as a militant with moderate views? Do you think the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan are in a position to distinguish between ‘moderate’ Taliban and more hard-core militants? Does the new US strategy provide an effective framework for thinking about militancy?
The term moderate and extremist is not applicable to Talibans as they all have the same virtues and follies. They are programmed robots initially developed by USA and later it went out of hand.
A moderate taliban is one who will not cut your throat if you disagree with him.
How can you have a discussion with some one holding a gun to your head?
The pakistani govt abandoned the people of swat when they gave the place away to taliban.
Another fact in governence , the monopoly to use of force/violence always rests with the state.This is not true in pakistan , here we have nonstate actors who are armed to the teeth.
What happened in swat is the miserable surrender of Pakistani state to hoodlums. Not a good sign at all.
The people who are threatening the state of pakistan are not willing to talk. They should be defeated by bold and decisive use of force by the state, however painful it may be.
One of the reason for the rise of taliban , in my opinion , is due to the feudal characteristics of the pakistani society.
Along side use of force to drive pot taliban there should be changes in the society so that everyone have equal opportunities in life and access to justice.
Getting justice from greivances is very important in holding society together.
There should be land reforms , Agricultural land should be owned by the person who work on it , not by absentee landlords.
Feudal landlordism must end.
In case we forget, PAKISTAN KA MATLUB KYA – LA ILAHA ILLALLAH!
So, this was bound to happen one day or another.
Let’s all thanks for General Zia-ul-Haq , US and Saudi Arabia whose brain child were Taliban during Afghan-Russian war…..I guess Roaster is back to the chicken.
Sword can bend the heads but can never change the hearts.
Slogan of Islamization,itself is a mockery to Islam. Keep Pakistan away from Mullahs clutches otherwise we may see Pakistan breaking apart.
Trust me when I say we do have elements inside and outside of Pakistan who would love to divide and rule.
Pakistan need to go back to Mr.Mumhammed Ali Jinnah dream of Pakistan not these Mullahs who used to call Pakistan “Palidistan” (filthy) and used to call Qaid-Azam Kafir.
They were not supporting Muslim League instead they were agent of Congress. Don’t have to believe me, pls. read the history of Pakistan by unbiased writer
The US may be asked to define the hardliner and moderate Taliban. What will be the identity of moderate Taliban and how they could be contacted to come and negotiate. Would the moderate Taliban allow US to take over control of Afghanistan in return of attractive personal incentives?
It is not the mullah or Taliban that are rigid but it is the rigid who become mullahs/talibans. There is no such thing as moderate Taliban.
Ha ha …They wouldn’t be Taliban if they were moderate.
The recent Swat deal gives immunity to everyone who is a murderer, killer, rapist, thief, drug dealer by the Taliban. Bravo Taliban! You just set an amazing example.
We complain about the west for being biased against Muslims but look at what at we are doing ourselves we are letting these people tell us about shariah law instead of proper Islamic scholars hence letting those who committed crimes walk free.
So if that is the case, we should not be complaining how the west treats Muslims when they are caught committing a crime. At least they putting them on trial. Our Mullah’s are offering free passes to all, it is simply pathetic.
Whether moderate , fanatic Taliban you all need to be disarmed and come under the rule of law of Pakistan which should get shariah law incorporated into it. I will not accept a parallel shariah court to Pakistani high court/ supreme court.
moderate.. is there anything moderate abt them.. they are all one n the same… they not only tarnish our image but of islam itself. show me one place in the sunnah, the life of the prophet pbuh where he or his caliphs struck on someone for not sporting a beard..
A moderate Taliban is the same as a Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus. Not real.
Since all Taliban leaders are exremists so in my opinion there does not exist any moderate Talibans.
Oxymoron
A Taleban is aways an extremist & will act as one.
With the news that Taliban has succeeded in getting the Government to enforce Sharia Law in Swat and Malakand, it is simply frightening to think what the future holds for the rest of Pakistan. Known for their rigid and purantical views on various facets of life and religion, Taliban is sure to take Pakistan to the dark ages. Islam preaches moderation in every facet of life, but the so called guardians of Islam, Taliban have tweaked the same in accordance with their whims and fancies and made a mockery of the whole thing. After hearing that TNSM supreme wanting to implement the same law in the rest of Pakistan, my head twisted and fears mounted for the well being of sensible and level headed people of Pakistan.
Abdul Majeed Khan very correctly says that Taliban leadership need to educate themselves in various areas of modern education, put their guns down, stop killing innocents and above all, show their belief in the power of dialogue instead of weapons. To this, I add show proper respect for the rights of women and girls (give them space to develop their own personalities and pursue whatever career they want to) and a genuine healthy regard plus respect for other religions (remember, we are living in an interdependent world wherein all religions need to co exist peacefully and no religion can seek to impose its hegemony over other religions)
I believe that to expect Taliban and its likes to change their views and perceptions is to expect the past to become future and the present to become future of next birth. Or a tortoise to win a 200 meters race against a cheetah. Heavens will crack up and planet Earth will turn upside down if Taliban changes as we expect them to. Maybe in 25th century such a scenario can be expected. Ah!!! Ha, ha.
Let me say this way: if it is happened at this point of time that Taliban chief become a Prime Minister or president of the Pakistan, in this way following question would be appropriate to answer for Taliban leadership:
Would you have skill to run the country?
Would you be able to handle foreign affairs?
Would you able to manage harmony among different religion inside the country or kill those who are not Muslims? Basically you got history of the killing innocents Muslims and low tolerance Level, and many opinions existing about, that your level of education has not been updated and you champion of Islam found to be instrumented to harming Islam. Your one sided group of people who just talk about Sharia at but you are failed to see other glorious education of Islam.
Taliban leadership: you must educate yourself, do PhDs in Islamic studies and other field of science included computer science, put the gun down stop killing innocents and get the education as our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) has recommended for Muslims, come to the political process and make your belief on dialogue instead of weapons, open your eyes look at the other countries of the world how rapidly they are developing and we are reversed every day.
one who doesn’t kill others.
Moderate Taliban,
Simple
Rule 1: Agree to live with the law of the land, where laws are made by democratically elected government.
I agree what “Citizen” has highlighted that no such thing called ‘moderate taliban’ exist anywhere. There are only terrorists Taliban present in both sides of border.
One of the main points, we probably have been missing is the ‘ideology’, according to which killing of other people is allowed, as far as they are not agreed with their faith or definition of Islam. This ideology was preached during the martial law of Zia Ulhaq with the support of religious parties and must be stopped now to stop Taliban terrorists from entering into our cities.
I have never seen any condemnation from these religious groups against killing of innocent people, which clearly indicates their support for Taliban. What to say about flogging of a girl in Swat, they have even been remained silent for the videos published by Taliban showing beheading of innocent people by young Taliban children.
If Americans are serious in this war, they will have to work hard for vanishing the ideology of killing innocent people. Some Pakistani news channels, who are still trying to project Taliban as heroes or some action movies, should also be engaged to stop the Taliban ideology.
If we fail to eliminate this ideology from our society, they will keep recruiting youth for the sake of thrill or so called Islam and nobody would be able to save Pakistan from a large civil war, which may result in catastrophic and irreversible losses.
Tariq,
Did you condemn Taliban’s actions when they were ruling Afghanistan.
Let us make a list of all pakistanis, who did that.
Only they have a moral right to condemn.
Taliban is doing similar things in Pakistan, as they did in Afghanistan (actually a lot less).
So how you only condemn the same actions, but if only they happen in Pakistan ?
Aren’t the same actions praised and encouraged by Pakistani/Saudi rulers and money ?
I disagree with the view of the US National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones, that moderate Taliban includes those militants who are willing to participate in the political process ‘without violence and without terror and without causing breaches in the security of either [Pakistan or Afghanistan].’
There is no such thing as a ‘moderate’ Taliban. All are one and of the same coin, the only difference is that they wear different hats, but preach the same pious gospel of terror. The only ideology they believe in and die for is rule of terror that’s driven by a blind faith in an outdated ideology. Empowered by illogical beliefs, these people are taking us back to a world that does not exist even in our nightmares.
As for the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan in a position to distinguish between ‘moderate’ Taliban and more hard-core militants, I can only say that both are caught up in a whirlpool of confusion and chaos and cannot make out the difference between even a horse and a donkey.
Coming to the new US strategy providing an effective framework for outthinking militancy, it is the other way around. The primitive Taliban has proved to be much wily than the mighty lone superpower and outfoxed them in every game of deception and tomfoolery.
It’s a pity that we are a part of a world where people are living and preaching an ideology that will be given the boot it deserves by Almighty God himself. O’ Lord save all of us from Taliban of all varieties.
I condemn all sorts of Terrorism.
No killing can be allowed anywhere by anyone.
Cruelty in any form is unacceptable.
Taliban and moderation! is that a joke?
mmm …
God taliban ..bad taliban..good Islam ..bad Islam..where we are going? Never negotiate with the talibans..let them surrender first then negotiate..
There is no such thing as moderate taliban. The all preach the same hatred and violent and evil idealogy.
Moderate Talibans = Dead Talibans butchered by the “real” Talibans for trying to be somewhat normal.
Talibans can never ever be moderate nor can they tolerate anything or anyone that doesnt reek of jihalat!
‘Taliban’ wether moderate or not, their basic goal is to :
Stop development of whichever place they rule
Rule over maximum world territory
Offence against women and zero tolerance towards other religions.
Bottom Line: Please condem all forms of ‘Taliban’ for the good of Pakistan.