We Are All Taliban

“Your journal has written in an article published on 16 June that Afghanistan’s province Kunar is the refuge of Osama Bin Laden. The first priority of the US President is the country’s defense. How sad is this commentary that even after seven years of 9/11, Osama Bin Laden is still free, though the entire world supported the United States in its quest for Osama Bin Laden. Even France went to the extent of calling, “We are all Americans.” However, I warn you that if the United States continues with its raids in the tribal regions of Pakistan, the tribes settled on both sides of the Afghan boundary will be compelled to say, “We are all Taliban.” The results of this U.S. policy will be the worst then.”*

The concern of the British citizen is quite legitimate in this regard. When the United States attacked Afghanistan, the number of militant Taliban was said to be around 40,000. However, if the United States sticks to the same policy, this number may swell to 4 million. The fact is that even now the number of Taliban is in the millions. It does not matter whether they are in Afghanistan or in the tribal regions of Pakistan, from Swat or from Waziristan. The thing that matters in this regard is that they are now in the millions.

In fact, the United States has left such shocking accounts of its savagery and barbarism [in the tribal areas through indiscriminate bombing] that now the main difference between the tribal people and Taliban has faded away. Every other member of almost every family of Waziristan has been martyred in this so-called war of the United States and the Taliban has gained another member in their ranks from every other household. It means that the people who did not intend to fight against the Untied States and wanted to live in peace, have been forced by the United States to raise arms and join the Taliban ranks [due to the barbaric US.. policy].

It is as clear as broad daylight that the tribal people adore their weapons. They learn to use weapons in their teenage years. They consider their weapons as their embellishments, and despite this they live in a peaceful atmosphere. The ratio of moral crimes is almost nil in their regions. There is no theft, robbery and hounding. There is no thought of illicit relationships and drinking. They live in quiet relaxation [and leisure]. They do not hound anybody; neither have they allowed others to hound them. We have never heard in the history of Pakistan that armed tribal people have entered Pakistan and plundered our banks or committed armed robberies. They undoubtedly love the Taliban, but they are themselves not Taliban. However, now the United States have transformed millions of tribal people into Taliban with its atrocities and barbarism. Every one of them now intends to fight against the United States and exact his revenge, and if they will have to wait until the next century to exact their revenge, they will wait for it. The theory of “We are all Taliban” has now become a reality.

The Taliban ranks, despite the destruction by the U.S. and Pakistan forces, are doubling in their numbers. The hatred multiplies as much and as many times as the operations are conducted and particularly when the U.S. jets that fly to bomb in the areas, bomb wherever they find turbaned and bearded people. In fact, the turban and beard are their [traditional] recognition emblems of millions of tribal people, whether they have anything to do with Taliban or not. Whether they agree with Taliban policies or not, they will not trim their beards nor will they remove their turbans. They will not change their traditional attire even if entire generations are exterminated.

The result is that the United States will continue bombing them and the people from these peace loving tribal areas will carry on swelling the Taliban ranks. The British citizen is right in saying that if the U.S. raids continue, the day will come when the Pashtuns living in Afghanistan and tribal areas of Pakistan will unanimously chant a slogan, yes,” We are all Taliban.” How many people will the United States kill then? More than 2 million Afghans and Pakistani people laid down their lives fighting against the Russians during the Afghan jihad years. Have the Pashtuns ever felt sorry over such a huge loss of life? To kill or to be killed does not have any importance for the Pashtuns. Hence, the United States should change its policy; otherwise it should get ready to hear this sentence from millions of the Pashtuns that “We are all Taliban.”

*Translator’s Note: From a letter written by a British citizen, Bernard Heaven, from Cilgerran,Wales to the Editor of the US journal Newsweek.