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Monday, July 23, 2001
By S. Amjad Hussain, Block News Alliance
KABUL, Afghanistan -- For the Muslim fundamentalist members of the Taliban, history, philosophy, and science are not subjects worth discussing. But curiously, America is.
Afghanistan's deputy foreign minister, a burly young man in his 30s named Abdur Raman Zahid, is typical.
"The West does not understand our ways," he told me. "I do not believe the West would give us aid even if we start doing things their way. We do not think aid should be linked to humiliating conditions."
Like every member of the Taliban I met, he was humble, polite, truthful and self-righteous.
"We need American assistance," he admitted, but in the next breath added, "We cannot accept the unfair conditions that America has attached for such assistance."
He is perplexed that America hasn't given the Taliban credit for bringing peace to Afghanistan and for officially ending the cultivation of opium poppies several months ago. Reports conflict as to how effective the ban has been; last year Afghanistan produced as much as 70 percent of the world's opium.
The philosophical canyon separating America and Afghanistan is immense. No matter how poor their nation is, Taliban leaders sincerely believe that by adhering to the basic values of Islam -- as they interpret them -- they can overcome any hardship. They believe they have been entrusted by Allah with the task of establishing a just Islamic society, and they are grateful for this enormous opportunity.
When I asked Zahid about Osama bin Laden, accused by the United States of blowing up U.S. embassies in Africa and plotting other acts of terror, he dug in his heels.
"Osama bin Laden is our guest, and we are honor-bound to give him refuge. His services to Afghanistan during the jihad against the Soviet Union cannot be forgotten."
What of his activities since?
"We have asked the U.S. time and again to share with us the evidence against him, but they have refused. We have offered to put him on trial in Afghanistan, but that is not acceptable to the U.S. We cannot hand him over to the U.S. because of mere allegations against him."
Gen. Moinuddin Haider, Pakistan's interior minister, reportedly presented the evidence to Mullah Omar, the Taliban head of state, earlier this year. To no avail.