Bonus Assignment: War on Afghanistan

On October eigth, dear Ms. Safaya brought part of her World Issues class to attend Dr. Daniel Taylor’s lecture on “Engaging People in Peacemaking: What’s missing in action in Afghanistan”. Dr. Taylor is affiliated with the Future Generation, one of the eight international families working in Afghanistan. His lecture focuses on how to rebuild Afghanistan effectively after the United States has overthrown Afghanistan’s terrorist government, the Talibans.

Afghanistan has always been an important land. It is located between the East and the West, giving it the privilege to be the centre of trade and migration, but also the unfortune to be the center of war. Even before Alexander the Great’s venture, Afghanistan had been full of war stories. Recently, two wars have affected its current state greatly. They are the Soviet Union’s invasion in 1979 and the current United States War on terror. The Soviet Union Invasion, which was only about thirty years ago, disrupted Afghanistan’s political, social and economical state. The USSR killed at least two million Afghan civilians. It also caused leadership imbalance because elites and intellectuals were intimidated by the war. Although in 1989 Afghanistan successfully expelled the USSR with the United States’ help, it was left as an empty shell. The Talibans, a politico-religious group, rose and began taking hold of the country. By the end of 2000, the Taliban had captured 95% of the country. The Taliban was viewed as a terrorist group because it believes in brutalism and discrimination, especially towards women. The United States War on terror began because the Taliban government would not handover Bin Laden, who created the 9/11 tradegy. Soon, the U.S. sent troops into Afghanistan and took over again.

Winning the battle was not difficult for the U.S, but troubles have not ceased after taking over Afghanistan. The issues with the narcotic trade, Taliban insurgency and religious discrimination against women have not changed. In addition, the U.S. troops have provoked nationalism and fundamentalism within some Afghans. They began to liken the Taliban because they disliked U.S. monitoring their country.

The world is concerned with this issue because many countries support U.S. and have their troops in Afghanistan. The casualty is mounting and many countries look forward to withdraw their army. Afghans do not appreciate U.S.’s help, Dr. Taylor reasoned, is because the U.S. have a wrong approach. The U.S. approach should not be war on terror. It should be peacemaking. The U.S. should act as servants ready to help, not as ethnocentric foreigners desperate to assimilate the Afghans.

I agree with Dr. Taylor’s analysis. Soldiers cannot gain Afghans’ trust while they wear a military jacket and hold a gun in the Afghans’ country, streets, and home. Dr. Taylor asked us, his audience, would we like him if he held a gun during his lecture.

After listening to Dr. Taylor’s lecture, I believe we should let the Afghans deal with their own issue. We can trust them and should trust them.

We can trust the Afghans because they have faith and will. Not so long ago, they developed a political party named Pago, which means the world will be better. Dr. Taylor described his initial impression upon hearing this party as crazy, a 100% insanity like the rabbi. Although Dr. Taylor appears to dislike the Pago party, I find this party very interesting. The Afghans know their troubles better than anyone. Yet, they are willing to say they believe the world will be better. This is faith, and faith is one element for improvement. They also have will. During the lecture, Dr. Taylor showed us a picture of a group of Afghans walking on a seemingly endless snow mountain. These Afghans walk these paths everyday just to go to school. Such a determination shows that they are ready to act, change and improve. Historically, Afghans have always harbor the ability to cope and survive through wars and adversities. Now, they have demonstrated their ability.

We can trust the Afghans, and should trust them because they want independence and know their culture and people. Dr. Taylor told us that despite the availability of foreign aids, the Afghans insisted to build their mosque schools with their own local material. A mosque is a sacred place for muslims. It is reasonable that the Afghans desire their worship building to be constructed with their own material. This is their independence, their culture, and their style. They also know their needs and other Afghans’ need well. Dr. Taylor said the Afghans were learning English, Math and other fundamental knowledge well. However, he said the Afghans were learning family planning, which was proposed by an Afghan, extremely well. They understand English is important, but they have priorities as well. Sometimes, we do not know our kindness may hurt them. Dr. Taylor said the United States have built many hospitals, but many were bombed because they did not have two doors, one for man and one for woman. We have unknowingly violated their culture’s standard. It is best to allow Afghans who know their culture and people to decide.

Afghans, after all, are humans just like us. Most of them dislike living in a closed society. They care about kids and enjoy good things. The Future Generation organized a soccer club, and a hundred teams formed. Soccer is a western sport, but because it is fun and do not contradict with their culture, the Afghans love it. We do not like foreign countries to monitor over our own country, so are the Afghans. Therefore, we have to let them lead us in building their country.

Approaching the Afghanistan issue wrongly not only affected the Afghans, but also the world. Dr. Taylor said we had a better understanding of the Afghans before the Afghanistan War. Indeed, the supposedly “War on Terror” has taught the general public that some Afghans are victims, scared and helpless, while other Afghans are terrorist, abnormal and dangerous.

While we have to recognize the Afghans are capable and not helpless, we can still contribute and help them. We can provide them knowledge. The number one killer in Afghanistan is not gun kill. It is diarrhea. We can tell them about hygiene, medicine and let them decide. The Future Generation has taken this approach in the education field. The Afghans value education and they want books to read. The Future Generation do not say, “Hey, here are some western books.” Instead, the Future Generation decides to create a library using the Afghans’ personal books. Dr. Taylor said we would not believe how many books the Afghans have. Dr. Taylor told us this is what Afghans like because the Afghans trust the Future Generation more than their government and other NGO.

Senator McCain has a different view than Dr. Taylor. He proposed that to solve the Afghanistan issue, we need more troops and more western influence. He believed since adding troops helped the Iraq War, adding troops would help the Afghanistan War. I am unconvinced by his assertion and more inclined to stand on Dr. Taylor’s side. Certainly, having troops in Afghanistan is necessary because Talibans are on their knees to attack, but just as a Chinese adage says, “The problem solver has to be problem maker.” The Taliban, which is more of a belief than a group, is deeply rooted within each Afghan. Each Afghan has a chance to become a Taliban. To eradicate the terroism, it needs to begin within the Afghans. Senator McCain has also said that in order to ensure security, he will appoint a highly respected national-security leader and a special presidential envoy. I believe this contradicts with what the Afghans want. They don’t want babysitters. They want the United States to only be a helpful friend. Senator McCain should talk to Dr. Taylor.

Dr. Taylor had said one thing that impressed me greatly. He said people don’t necessarily need hospital. They need family. People don’t necessarily need medicine. They need a change in behavior. We need to recognize our help is only as a supplement. The strength, change and improvement have to come within the Afghans.