Daily Times

Islamism, with its revisionist rigor, has been a very potent force for the last five decades. Although it has many strands and faces, it is generally defined as ‘using or instrumentalizing of Islam by individuals and groups for political purposes.’ When Ayatollah Khomeini’s Iran introduced reforms in political and social spheres, this conscious project was termed as “Post-Islamism” by scholars. This was in reference to the Islamists movements which had been, as claimed by their leadership, striving for an Islamic system for the attainment of the cherished Islamic society under Sharia law. A society having faith in divine sovereignty, opposed to a Western democratic system – enshrined in popular sovereignty and secularism. Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, Turkish AKP, Taliban in Afghanistan, and Tunisia’s Ennahda are few cases in the point in later years.

Gilles Kepel, a French scholar of Islam, define post-Islamism as “the departure of Islamists from the Jihadi and Salafi doctrines”. Olivier Roy, another intellectual giant believes, “it is changing the lives of the individuals rather than the Islamization of the state”. Whereas, Asef Bayat, who coined the term, defines it as, transcending Islamist rationale to political, social, economic, and intellectual realms. For he contends, when Islamist movements feel their appeal and legitimacy is losing luster among supporters and sympathizers, they realize the anomalies and inadequacies in their manifestoes and attempt to rationalize themselves with the prevalent demands.

Post-Islamism is neither un-Islamic nor secular. If it is deviant from the rigid monolithic interpretation of Islam: a plural form that fuses faith with freedom, rights with religiosity, focuses rights instead of duties, and plurality instead of singular authority – it is equally distant from French styled radical laicism secularism. More importantly, it is futuristic rather than the past oriented ideology like Salafism. For that reason, many consider Post-Islamism, an “Islamic modernism” and “alternate modernity”.

This information revolution brought Afghans into the globalized world, enhanced Afghan diaspora involvement into domestic affairs; enabled the emergence of a civil society and gave voice to the youth by educating them about their rights

Struggle among institutions on the question of, ‘who will interpret the religion’ results in violence in conservative societies, and the latter always lead to reforms. Post-Islamism is an unheeded reform project in the Muslim world. Many would disagree because to them, rescinding the existing order and replacing the other is called reformation, like the Westphalian order – that established a secular nation state system by overthrowing the papacy. This is inconceivable for the Muslims in their societies.

Islamist Taliban of the war-ravaged Afghanistan are also in transition to their Post-Islamist moment. This article aims to identify the drivers that compelled Taliban to re-appropriate and re-orient themselves in the age of democracy and globalization, as postulated by Post-Islamism.

In the aftermath of 9/11, Taliban’s ouster from power was a serious setback to their efforts for the establishment of “Islamic Emirates” with a puritanical version of Islam. This removal also coincided with the introduction of a new constitution and an electoral form of government in Afghanistan. These state building efforts by the international community in post-Taliban Afghanistan triggered a much needed nation building initiative in Afghanistan.

International coalition poured cash into a resource-starved Afghanistan that increased education, media, and internet connectivity. This information revolution brought Afghans into the globalized world, enhanced Afghan diaspora involvement into domestic affairs; enabled the emergence of a civil society and gave voice to the youth by educating them about their rights and duties under the auspices of 2004 constitutions and successive elections.

There emerged a serious disconnect between the peoples’ expectations and the Taliban who had no solution to public issues that a demanded political solution rather than a religious one. Ordinary people recognize that religion might be a source of redemption in life hereafter, but public welfare necessitates politics in this one. Taliban’s appeal seriously lost relevance and they started losing support base and reduced to the traditional rural Pashtuns.

Internationally, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, and Pakistan: all wants Taliban’s mainstreaming into the political landscape of Afghanistan. Taliban are no more favorites of any state. Saudi Arabia finds Taliban misfit in their reform scheme: and Sufi Islam is being preferred over Deobandi Islam in enlightened moderation project of Pakistan under Imran Khan who believes in Pakistani nationalism. Therefore, both countries haunted by certain national security threats seem to be shredding the burden of their past and move towards more tolerant and inclusive version of Islam by investing into the social aspects of their respective societies. Fazal-ur-Rehman’s exclusion form the political mainstream of Pakistan and inclusion of Pashtun nationalism in Pakistan; cinema and sports promotion in Saudi Arabia are self-evident. Individual charity that once ended into the hands of Taliban, now being spent on social issues like poverty alleviation, promotion of health and education in their respective territories.

Owing to these developments, post-Mullah Omar Taliban, seem to be re-appropriating themselves to stay relevant in Afghan society. They are now more open to the world and equipped with better diplomatic skills which they showed by securing the release of five top commanders from Guantanamo Bay detention in exchange of one US sergeant – Bowe Bergdahl. Their ability of diplomatic maneuvering has not only deterred US from including them into the designated list of foreign terrorists, but also managed the removal of Taliban leaders from terror blacklist of United Nations. In response to the challenges posed by Afghan society and international community, Taliban are no more rejectionist, revisionist, and exclusivists. They now are more accommodative and inclusive towards the international community and support women education at home.

According to Post-Islamist assumptions, Islamist Taliban found it difficult to offer ‘Islamic’ solution to the fundamental economic and social issues of Afghanistan. Hence, they have to broaden the spectrum beyond Islamist assumptions to political, social, and economic spheres. This is the point where political logic transcends religious logic of islamists. This is not anti-Islamic; instead, it aims to make an individual religious and less interested in Islamizing the society at large.

Taliban are in transition, they have taken a great leap forward from Salafi Islamism and are heading towards pluralist Post-Islamism. Also, because this generation of Taliban found it difficult to frame an enemy against whom they could fight with religious zeal because they have to do most of the fighting against their own countrymen – the Afghan forces; opposed to their predecessors.

Old guards of Taliban ideology are falling apart, Afghans have rejected violence and the Taliban are in the process of re-inventing themselves by crafting an appeal acceptable to the Afghan masses. From this standpoint, the international community should facilitate this transition in Afghanistan. Afghan hawks who oppose the political mainstreaming of Taliban must be sidelined. Owing to the fact that Taliban are a reality that cannot cease to exist but, reformed. Therefore, Post-Islamist Taliban on one hand will render Taliban legitimacy to exist and operate; and on the other, the US and the Afghan government will have peace in Afghanistan.

The writer is a PhD candidate and a research fellow at the University of Maryland, USA

Published in Daily Times, December 26^th 2018.