8am: September 9th marks the anniversary of the assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the charismatic leader of the resistance against the Taliban in the 1990s. With the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Massoud’s legacy has gained renewed attention, underscoring the enduring relevance of his ideals. Discussing justice and equality in society serves as an
Michael Hughes: President Joe Biden’s lack of empathy for the people of Afghanistan comes through in vivid detail in a new book by The Atlantic’s Franklin Foer. From annoyance over Hillary Clinton trying to save Afghan women to his disappearance to Camp David when advisers awaited an evacuation order, the book provides a scathing indictment
8am: The Taliban are heavily influenced by Pashtunwali (a Pashtun code of conduct) that considers Pashtuns as the supreme race and women as the property of men, ignoring their rights. They are also greatly influenced by Deobandi, a radical version of political Islam that considers other religions heresy subject to eradication. These two factors hinder
8am: While the non-violent struggle perspective is inspirational and has yielded results against oppressors, it’s not the solution to Afghanistan’s predicament. We are not facing a monarchical or military regime, but rather an extremist group that disregards human values. This group, operating under an ideological banner, seeks eradication and absolute dominance. We all know that
8am: The word “independence” has been degraded in Afghanistan and has become meaningless due to the current situation. While independence is a noble and admirable concept, it is absurd for individuals who are deeply entrenched in poverty, particularly a group that has been historically mercenary, to speak of it. Presently, the Taliban’s rule is sustained
8am: The collapse of the Republic government and the reinstatement of the Taliban did not cause significant concern for the Islamic Republic of Iran, contrary to expectations. Despite the turmoil in Kabul, Iran maintained an open embassy and continued to issue visas from its consulates in major Afghan cities. On November 15, 2021, an Iranian
8am: Khalilzad’s two-decade record in Afghan politics illustrates his unwavering commitment to his personal affiliations, even during his tenure as a representative of the American government. His presence in Afghanistan consistently aims at bolstering his preferred faction over others. Ever since his tenure as a senior staff member in the U.S. National Security Council during
Michael Hughes: There’s an international development theory, backed by strong evidence, known as the paradox of giving – that foreign aid often leads to more suffering for poverty-stricken countries, and donors ought embrace the Hippocratic oath: “First, do no harm,” as argued by expert William Easterly. The concept that funding and food could make a situation worse
8am: Nearly two years have elapsed since the collapse of Afghanistan’s republican system. Two years ago, due to the ineptitude and unchecked corruption of Afghanistan’s political leadership, coupled with regional and global connivance, the Taliban unlawfully seized power. Regarding the factors that led to the downfall of the republican system over the past two years,
Khaama: Years of Pakistan’s hostility towards its border areas with Afghanistan has resulted into a security quagmire for both the countries… While portraying itself as a victim of terrorism in front of global eyes, Pakistan attempted to establish tactical control over Kabul through the Durand issue. This pursuit of strategic dominance has however led it