The Islamic Republic yesterday competed with the communists, today with the Taliban.
The Islamic Republic yesterday competed with the communists, today with the Taliban. According to Iran Gate, shortly after the Taliban took power, it became entirely clear that there was no significant change in the group’s backward-looking perspective. A group of domestic hardliners who called this reactionary group the authentic movement of the region now seem to have no words to express.
The Taliban have reverted to their original settings and, taking advantage of the global community’s negligence, have resumed their previous behaviors towards women. In their latest directive, they announced that a headscarf is not enough; women must wear a face veil.
Every day, they impose a new restriction, and the poor and oppressed society of Afghanistan has no choice but to submit and obey. Two years ago, when the Taliban returned to power after 20 years of exile and cave-dwelling, some thought they would change their behavior and adapt to the new circumstances.
On the other hand, because the neo-conservatives had also taken control of the government in Iran, there was optimism that if the Taliban reconsidered, it could be said that even they had changed. And if they did not reconsider, it would warn the insiders that when the Taliban act this way, it is not befitting for a Shiite revolutionary with a democratic interpretation to be accused of resembling them. However, this optimism seems to have been mistaken as some appear to compete with the Taliban, particularly being stricter against women.
The historical reality is that a significant portion of the negative events at the beginning of the 1979 revolution, including confiscations, executions, and occupations, were due to competing with Marxists and leftists. For instance, because the Fedai Guerrillas occupied the US embassy and consulate in Tabriz twice, Muslim forces, not wanting to lag behind, decided to seize the US embassy in Tehran and included the word ‘Muslim’ in their name, which at that time was the opposite of communist, not Jewish or Christian.
The rush in executions was also due to communist pressure. Interestingly, the Fedai and Mujahedin were more hasty in executing Pahlavi generals than the Muslim forces. The interim government, accused of right-wing tendencies and leaning towards capitalism, took the lead in nationalizing banks to shed this label, even though private bank owners had fled the country or were indebted, and the government and the Revolutionary Council had no choice but to make decisions to protect depositors’ rights. However, it was also out of fear of communist taunts.
The outcome of competing with the communists to prove we are more anti-American and anti-capitalist has resulted in this brilliant situation that has robbed the principlist president of sleep. Without turning off the money-printing machine, they expect inflation to be controlled. If competing with the communists in revolutionary and pseudo-revolutionary behaviors was a mistake, then competing with the Taliban to restrict social freedoms and limit or threaten women is certainly a mistake.
Because the Taliban are essentially seeking to elevate the Pashtuns and turn Afghanistan into Pashtunistan, using Islam as a cover for this idea and to suppress and exclude Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Hazaras. Although the Taliban have influence and a base among the Pashtuns, who make up half of Afghanistan’s population, their words are accepted in half of Afghan society.
We were hopeful that the Taliban’s behavior would prevent any similar movement in Iran, but it seems history is set to repeat itself differently. If in 1979, they competed with the communists to tell them ‘we are more anti-capitalist than you,’ and in practice destroyed industries, and wherever it became state-owned resulted in nothing but debt and trouble, even in sports, and we are witnessing what has happened to confiscated clubs.
Now it seems some, instead of distancing themselves, want to say ‘we are more Islamist than the Taliban,’ even if the anti-woman atmosphere provokes negative reactions in society. Meanwhile, it is enough to go beyond the television’s propaganda bombardment and take a look at society to see what is happening. Iranians who were not communists and did not become communists are even less likely to relate to Taliban ideologies. Let us remember that it was the Islam of Taleghani that brought people to the streets, not the Islam of the Taliban.
Muslim communists are the facilitators of inflation, part one.
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