Ismael Khan is not a warlord
Mohammad S. Tahir
December 30, 2009
Sometimes the Western media gets lazy, they use and reuse a word that doesn't
really apply when trying to identify a
certain individual. This is especially true in the case of Ismael Khan, the
former governor of Herat and the current Minister of Water and Power in
President Hamid Karzai's cabinet. He is repeatedly and intentionally referred to
as a warlord in the press. A warlord is typically defined as a military commander who is
exercising civil power by force in a limited area. Some sources even define the
word as a sort of tyrant who rules over his area with an iron fist. You can't
read an article about Ismael Khan without
seeing the word warlord used at least once. It's almost like an obsession with
these reporters, and at the same time wrong and disrespectful to the person they
are trying to describe for their readers.
Ismael Khan started out his career as an officer in the Afghan army. He
became popular after participating in a major revolt in Herat against the
Communists. During the Soviet war, Ismael Khan was a Mujahideen leader who
fought against the invading Russian army for his country's freedom. At the time,
the Soviet Union was an enemy of the West and people like Ismael Khan were
referred to as a "freedom fighter" or specifically in the case of Ismael Khan,
the "Lion of Herat" in the Western press.
The only time one can even remotely argue that the word warlord can be used
to describe Ismael Khan was during the period after the Communists were defeated and a
Mujahideen government was established in Afghanistan. At that time, Ismael Khan
did command his own army, but he was still part of the central government even
if it was weak, and served as Herat's governor with approval from Kabul. He was
much loved by the people of Herat; there was no need for him to force his rule
over them. In fact, one can easily argue that Ismael Khan was the greatest
governor the province ever had. While the rest of the country remained unstable,
Ismael Khan had his area under control and Herat's economy was booming. He made
it possible for roads, parks and schools to be built, and girls and women to be
educated. Even the Americans who had concerns about Ismael Khan because of his
Mujahideen background wrote positively about his role as Herat's governor. In a
United States Department of Defense funded publication, Stars and Stripes, an
article was published on April 5, 2005 about Herat's economic and cultural
prosperity, and the author of the article wrote that "A good portion of the
city’s current success can also be attributed to Ismael Khan...”.
There are very few political figures in Afghanistan, either in the past or
current day, who are liked or at least respected by the vast majority of the
different ethnic groups in Afghanistan. While the late Ahmad Shah Massoud was very
popular and loved by many Afghans, many Taliban supporters despised him. Ismael
Khan is actually respected even in many Taliban circles. Even if they disagree
with the side he is on, they know that he fought and worked hard for the people
of Afghanistan, not to mention the people of Herat. Perhaps, that was the reason
he was never killed when he was captured by the Taliban in 1997.
When the Taliban were removed from power in late 2001, Ismael Khan could have
made things extremely difficult for the central government. Instead he chose to
join it and work for the people of Afghanistan. While many Ministers in Karzai's
cabinet have had serious charges of corruption against them, Ismael Khan has
shown that his number one priority is his people and his country. So far, he has
done a wonderful job as a cabinet member.
Of course, they are still some people that may express hate for the man for
being a Mujahid or the fact that he fought against the Taliban, but these people
are usually Communists, Pakistani agents, ignorant, or serving some personal
agenda. Laughably, some people on the fringe have even accused him of human rights abuses,
even though they have brought to light no substantiating proof of these alleged
abuses.
The Afghan people know Ismael Khan very well, and are very familiar and grateful
for what he
has done for his country.
No doubt that Afghanistan is a backwards country and seems to be forever
stuck in the Middle Ages. As a result, it can be easy for some reporters to
romanticize the political situation in Afghanistan as one where the old warlords
are facing off against modernity. Perhaps, to a certain extent this may be true,
but the reporters must exercise journalistic integrity and do their best to
present reality and the usage of proper words is a part of that. These reporters
must choose their words carefully and wisely. Ismael Khan was a Mujahid, a
governor, and is now a statesman, not a warlord.
Mohammad S. Tahir
can be reached at mohammad.tahir17@gmail.com
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