Afghan government, security forces adhere to Islamic principles

KABUL -- The Afghan government and the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) are working to ensure Islamic principles are upheld in the country.

The government is collaborating with religious scholars to bring a moderate Islamic curriculum to Afghan students, while security forces are safeguarding mosques and madrassas against terrorist attacks, officials say.

The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) is continuously developing its relations with other Islamic countries to bring more facilities to the Afghan people participating in the five pillars of Islam, National Ulema Council of Afghanistan Chairman Maulvi Qayamuddin Kashaf told Salaam Times November 18.

"GIRoA is fully an Islamic state, and it is working with local scholars to let people know that the government is bringing them opportunities to perform Islamic prayers and duties," he said.

For example, madrassas in Afghanistan have opened up to girls for the first time since the Taliban infamously banned education for women, he said.

"We have male and female teachers who are teaching the students Islamic studies," he said. "Male teachers sit in boxes to separate themselves from their female students, who say they attend voluntarily in addition to their secular education."

Militant opposition defies Islam

Militants affiliated with the Taliban and "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL), meanwhile, are not allowing Afghans to go to the mosques and madrassas, and they are continuing to inflict their violent extremism on the Afghan people, Kashaf said.

Although GIRoA and ANDSF troops requested the Taliban stop violence during Ramadan so that all Muslim Afghans could celebrate the holy month in peace and stability, he said, the insurgents rejected this message, even going so far as to tell their followers to step up their attacks.

"This shows a stark contrast between the GIRoA and ANDSF and the militants," he said.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani reiterated the government's commitment to Islamic values and Islamic law during his November 17 address to the students and teachers of the American University of Afghanistan, a private university in Kabul brutally attacked by militants in August.

"You are our future, and we believe in a strong educated Afghanistan with Islamic attitude," Ghani said.

Support for the Hajj

Afghanistan's Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs also is working to provide services and opportunities for Afghans seeking to perform the Hajj and other religious duties.

"We are doing our best to apply Islamic rules to the nation and give [Afghans] the best services," Deputy Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs Dayul Haq told Salaam Times November 18.

For the past two years, the GIRoA, through the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, was able to send about 24,000 pilgrims per year to Mecca for the annual pilgrimage, he said.

The ministry has made every effort to provide more facilities to Afghans making the pilgrimage over the past several years, Haq said.

"This year we provided more facilities, including three times more food and full accommodations," he said.

The ministry is co-operating with religious scholars to let the people know what services and support the government is providing for next year, he said, adding that the ministry is helping local scholars provide Islamic studies to the people in mosques as well as translation of the Holy Koran in the evenings.

Furthermore, just last week, the GIRoA started construction work on a major Islamic university in Afghanistan, with an estimated cost of US $500m, funded by the international community, Haq said. Once completed, the university will host Afghan and international students.

"A majority of Afghan students are currently travelling to other countries for Islamic studies, which is a major concern for Afghanistan," Gulab Mangal, the newly appointed governor of Nangarhar Province, said in a press conference last week.

Only scholars opposed to terrorism and extremism will be admitted to the university to learn about Islam and introduce moderate Islam to the word, he said.

Violence provoked by 'criminals and murderers'

The GIRoA and ANDSF are providing hope to the people and showing how militancy runs contrary to Islamic values, said Muhammad Ayaz Niazi, imam of the Wazir Muhammad Akbar Khan Mosque in Kabul.

"ISIL, the Taliban and all other insurgents order followers to increase attacks during the holy month of Ramadan," he told Salaam Times, adding that these groups also make no efforts to offer citizens of Afghanistan a legitimate means to make the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Abdul Rab Rasool Sayyaf, a former Jihadi leader and current member of the Afghan parliament, condemned the Taliban and ISIL for defaming Islam during a speech in September commemorating the 15th anniversary of the death of Afghan political and military leader Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was killed by the Taliban.

Sayyaf has taken a hard stance against militant groups, specifically the Taliban and ISIL, raising questions regarding insurgents' motives for violence.

The on-going insurgency in Afghanistan is not due to conflict between Muslims and non-Muslims, but rather the war is waged by criminal and murderers, he said.

Sayyaf also called on the government to encourage former militant commanders to join forces in support of the government, in the fight against ISIL.

"It is not too late. You can turn away from the wrong path, which was wrong from the beginning," he said. "Come and sit with your nation and talk together and solve the issues, and if you want, establish a political opposition party where you can criticise the government."

Sayyaf praised Afghan security forces for the sacrifices they have made in the line of duty to bring peace and stability to the country.

"I pray for our security forces and praise them for boldly standing against conspiracies with all their shortcomings and defending their country and their people," he said.