PESHAWAR: The Afghan Taliban's recent appointment of a militiaman from the Hazara community as a local chief in northern Sar-i-Pul province appears to be indicating a change in the group's attitude toward the minority which was persecuted for decades under their rule.
On April 22, the Taliban announced that Maulvi Mahdi was appointed their chief for Balkhab district in Sar-i-Pul, a region dominated by the Shiite community.
The Hazaras are predominantly Shia and constitute a religious minority among Afghanistan’s majority Sunni population. It is estimated that they account for 15 percent of the country’s 37 million population.
The Hazaras were systematically persecuted under Taliban rule in 1996-2001.
Hikmat Safi, expert on security affairs and adviser to Afghanistan's former chief executive Abdullah Abdullah, told Arab News the appointment of Mahdi was as a "diplomatic move" aimed at attracting the support of Hazara people in a fast-changing political scenario and ahead of the intra-Afghan dialogue — discussions between all Afghan stakeholders on a road map for a political settlement and a lasting ceasefire after nearly two decades of warfare in the country.
“The choice of Maulvi Mahdi is a clear message to the Hazara that the Taliban are no longer against them,” Safi said, adding that the group is now striving to win favor and support of minorities ahead of any future agreement with the Afghan government.
According to the Taliban, Mahdi has been active in their ranks for quite some time.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Arab News that he has “his own group, a large number of followers (in Balkhab) and has for years contributed to jihad.”
“The issue has just caught media attention, otherwise he has been there in the field for long,” Mujahid said.
The photo shows Maulvi Mahdi, a 34-year-old Hazara militiaman from Balkhab district in Sar-i-Pul province, Afghanistan. On April 22, the Taliban announced that Mahdi was appointed their chief for Balkhab, a region dominated by the Shiite community. (Screen grab from a video released by the Afghan Taliban)
According to Fazal Muzhary of the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), the 34-year-old Shiite militiaman is influential in the Balkhab region and has been involved in attacks against government forces. He was arrested in 2010 and sentenced to 14 years in prison, but was released before serving the full sentence.
“He developed links with the Taliban in the recent past and played a role in recruiting local fighters for the Taliban in Balkhab,” Mauzhary said.
While the Taliban themselves deny that the appointment of the Hazara militiamen was a political gimmick, they are signaling a departure from their extremist stance toward Shias and attempts to gain legitimacy among other ethnic groups.
“We have clear targets such as an end to occupation of Afghanistan and the (establishment of) Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and all ethnicities which accept these targets are to enjoy equal rights in any future settlement,” Afghan Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Arab News.
“What happened in the past should not prevent the parties from marching forward ... An inclusive Afghan government after result-oriented intra-Afghan talks will better identify the country’s external, internal policies and role of minorities and their rights in the future setup,” he said.
The change in the ideology and politics of the Taliban has been acknowledged by representatives of the Hazaras, who are tired of the war and for the sake of peace appear to be willing to let bygones be bygones.
“We want an end to war and we want a democratic setup under which all ethnic groups such as Pashtun, Hazara, Tajik, Uzbek and others enjoy freedom, unity and peace. We have high expectations that the imminent Afghan government-Taliban talks will yield tangible results this time,” said Asadullah Saadati, a senior politician from the Hezb-e-Wahdat party — the key vehicle of the Hazara community’s political presence.
Saadati told Arab News on Wednesday that the party could sit with the Taliban and jointly work with them for any future setup. “We should have tolerance for each other to move forward,” he said, adding that the ongoing prisoner exchange between the Taliban and the government gives a ray of hope that the intra-Afghan dialogue will take place and settle differences.
