Former Minister of Culture and Information of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’s new Ambassador to India, Dr Sayed Makhdoom Raheen, served as a professor at the Kabul University for a long time. He received his Masters degree and doctorate in Persian literature from Tehran University in 1973. Dr Raheen is fluent in Dari, Pashto, English, Arabic and Urdu. In an interview with Renu Malhotra
Against the background of global initiatives to combat terrorism, what is your country’s stand and what measures do you suggest to contain it?
We know that safe havens and camps of terrorism and human-killings are located in Afghan territory which must be closed down and the terrorists brought to justice. Only then will countering terrorism and elimination of terrorists will become easier. The international community must ensure taking firm and serious steps towards destroying terrorist bases.
Taliban is wreaking havoc with Afghan peace and development. Comment.
The Taliban leadership has safe havens in our country. Using that land as their base, they indulge in terrorist activities in Afghanistan.
How do view Barack Obama’s victory as US president?
We consider his presidency will be a sign of good fortune and hope he will succeed in fighting terrorism and can promote peace and democracy.
You have a young democracy in place today. What are the major bottlenecks to development?
Terrorism is the biggest cause for hampering progress in Afghanistan. Smuggling of narcotics, which is inter-linked with terrorism, is another major problem. If terrorist activities are controlled in Afghanistan, the narcotics problem will also disappear subsequently. Poppy cultivation is mostly carried out in areas where the Taliban are active. And they benefit from narco money.
Afghan women have been playing a major role in the reconstruction process. With the Taliban still active, what is the current
scenario?
Afghan women have always been active members of our society. However, post war, they had been forced to stay at home by the Taliban. But today, under the new administration as per the constitution, we have 25 per cent women parliamentarians, we have women ambassadors to Bulgaria and Germany, and women in our country today enjoy good positions in public and the bureaucracy and are contributing a lot towards national reconstruction.
India and Afghanistan have a long history of friendship. What is the current status?
I admire India, its people, culture, and its history. I have had a bond with this nation and its culture and history for so long now. Friendship between the two countries dates back as far as the beginning of history. For centuries now, we have had trade and cultural interactions. Within last one thousand years, almost all royal families, who established kingdoms in India and almost all great Sufi saints who established Islamic schools of love and tolerance in India, came to this country from Afghanistan or the Khurasan of medieval era, and, together with Indians, founded the Indo-Afghan or Indo-Khurasani culture. Kabul had been the hub of India’s trade and business to the east and west, for hundreds of years. Islam, Sufism and the Dari/Persian language have come to India from Afghanistan. Likewise, Afghanistan has also been enriched by India. Today, India is a great friend of Afghanistan, assisting its reconstruction. India’s generous assistance include road construction, power transfer projects, short and long term capacity building programmes, and so on. Auspiciously, India, the world’s largest democracy, is sincerely standing by the young democracy of Afghanistan. The beliefs of our common spiritual personalities like Khwaja Moinudin Chishti, Nizamuddin Aulia and great men like Tagore, are focused on love and tolerance, and our historic close ties have guided us always.
Do you see India as a mediator in the global peace process?
India is, as I said, the largest democracy in the world and its economy is growing fast. Thus, it will have a significant role in supporting world peace.
Is Afghanistan secure under its present leadership?
I am very optimistic of Afghanistan’s future. Although, we have come across a lot of difficulties, we are a nation with an old history. We have seen a lot of ups and downs, yet we have had the courage to eventually cope with them. There is plenty of work to be done in Afghanistan. The challenges are in areas such as limited literacy, ineffectiveness of administrative affairs, slow pace of improvements in the lives of the common people – rebuilding of destroyed villages – and promotion of art and culture, etc. After 30 years of invasion, occupation and wars, we have a lot to do to build our economic and social infrastructures.
It is believed that Pakistan is harbouring terrorists. With mounting international pressure on Pakistan to come down heavily on terrorists, do you think that Pakistan will actually arrest terrorist leaders?
Today, terrorism has become an international dilemma. This ugly phenomenon, particularly in this part of the world, has seized comfort from the people. We all, including Pakistan, should determinedly take firm and serious actions to eliminate terrorism. Pakistan’s democratically elected government should pay more attention to this issue.
What will make Pakistan actually arrest terrorists and what lessons can India learn from Afghanistan in combating terrorism and insurgency?
Afghanistan, Pakistan and India should work closely together to combat terrorism and eradicate its bases. And the international community must cooperate in this regard. We all should learn from the experiences of one another.
What are your views on the theory that the purpose of the Mumbai attack was to divert attention to the Indo-Pak border so as to give breathing space to the Taliban/al-Qaieda on the Afghan-Pak border?
Everybody may have a different outlook pertaining to terrorism, yet the significance lies in fighting it resolutely and putting an end to its beast-like ruthlessness. As of today, the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks must be identified and brought to justice in accordance with the law.
What is the Afghan stand on Kashmir?
We believe in understanding and exertion of peaceful approaches to triumph over the existing problems and pave the way for prosperity of the region.
What is the current Indian investment in Afghan reconstruction?
India has played a significant role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. The role played has been sincere, generous and benevolent. Some Indian friends have contributed to the reconstruction of Afghanistan at the expense of their lives, which we are indebted to.
What are the ties between Afghan and Indian leaders?
President Karzai, personally, has great memories of India and deeply believes in the closeness of the two nations. H.E Dr Manmohan Singh and other Indian honourable leaders respect and pay a lot of attention to Afghanistan. Fortunately, relationships between leaders of both the counties have always been warm and friendly.
What is your message to today’s strife torn world?
My message to the world is: Let us try to learn how to love and overcome grudge and hatred; believe in human dignity. And with this, seek the beauty in the smile of tomorrow’s child. This is the only way by which we will have a more beautiful world.