The Complex Relationship Between Afghanistan And Hamas: Allies Or Convenient Partners?

Afghanistan does not consider Hamas a terrorist organisation. While the Taliban has not explicitly supported Hamas, it has expressed sympathy for Muslims and condemned Israel's besieging of Gaza. The Taliban's ambiguous position on the Gaza war is influenced by its desire to maintain financial assistance from Western governments and its commitment to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

The Taliban's silence on the Hamas-Israel conflict

Akhundzada's second-in-command, Mullah Mohammad Hassan, and his trio of deputies have also been reticent. The only senior Taliban official who has spoken out is Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting interior minister, who remains on the United States' most-wanted list. Haqqani has said:

> We do not interfere in others’ internal affairs, but we have faith-based sympathy with Muslims.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s chief spokesperson, issued a statement in condemnation of Israel’s besieging of Gaza while calling on the international community to address the crisis.

The Taliban's public comments, while sparse, are calculated to show support for the Palestinians alone, as the group has no formal diplomatic ties with Hamas.

Some analysts have suggested that the Taliban's silence is due to the group's reliance on financial aid from Western governments. The Taliban's commitment to forbid any security threats to the United States and its allies from emerging in Afghanistan could also be a factor.

The Taliban's silence is in stark contrast to the fervent, daily anti-Israel comments from neighbouring Iran.

The Taliban's sympathy for Muslims

The Taliban, or "students" in Pashto, emerged in the early 1990s and quickly gained control of most of Afghanistan by 1996. They imposed a strict version of Sharia law, which included restrictions on women, harsh punishments for crimes, and the banning of music and television. The group is known for its harsh interpretation of Islamic law and lack of respect for human rights, particularly regarding women's rights and freedom of expression.

The Taliban's current leader, Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, has not been seen publicly in years, but he and other leaders have expressed sympathy for Muslims in the context of the Israel-Hamas conflict. While the Taliban has not officially supported Hamas, their statements reflect a measured approach that aims to show solidarity with Palestinians without directly interfering in the conflict.

The Taliban's ideology is rooted in Sunni Islam, and they view themselves as soldiers in God's army, justifying their jihadism as virtuous and their violence as righteous. They believe in the need to re-Islamize Afghan society and enforce their interpretation of Islamic law. This includes imposing restrictions on women, such as prohibiting them from working, studying, or appearing in public without a male chaperone.

The Taliban's religious roadmap for Afghanistan involves three closely intertwined initiatives:

• Fleshing out a state religious ideology, Talibanism, which dictates that Islam should dictate every aspect of daily life and considers Afghan society insufficiently Islamic.
• Revalidating themselves as a vanguard for true Islamic leadership in Afghanistan, positioning themselves as religious clerics and "originalists" of Islamic teachings.
• Re-engineering the principles of Afghan nationalism to align with Islamic nationalism, aiming to create a singular Islamic identity in the country.

While the Taliban has expressed sympathy for Muslims and presented themselves as defenders of Islamic values, their actions and policies have often been criticized by the international community for human rights violations and failure to protect the rights of religious and ethnic minorities.

The Taliban's relations with the US

The Taliban's relationship with the US has been tumultuous, with the US never recognising the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

The US indirectly supported the Taliban through Pakistan between 1994 and 1996, as Washington viewed the Taliban as anti-Iranian, anti-Shia, and potentially pro-Western. However, in late 1997, the US began to distance itself from the Taliban.

The US supported the Northern Alliance, which was opposed to the Taliban, and in 2001, the US invaded Afghanistan and overthrew the Taliban government to capture Osama bin Laden. The US also supported the new government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, maintaining a high level of troops to establish the authority of his government and combat the Taliban insurgency.

In 2012, the US designated Afghanistan as a major non-NATO ally, but this was revoked in 2022 after the Taliban took control of Kabul. The US Armed Forces have periodically risen and reduced its troop levels in Afghanistan since 2002, reaching a high of about 100,000 in 2010.

In 2020, the US signed a conditional peace agreement with the Taliban, agreeing to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan in exchange for the Taliban cutting all connections with Al-Qaeda and beginning peace negotiations with the Afghan government. However, the Taliban carried out dozens of attacks on Afghan security forces in the days following the agreement.

In 2021, the Taliban launched a major offensive and overthrew the US-backed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, forcing the evacuation of US diplomatic personnel from Afghanistan. The US officially completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.

Despite the Taliban's return to power, the US has continued to engage with the Taliban, with US officials urging the Taliban to reverse policies responsible for the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan and expressing support for the Afghan people's demands for their rights to be respected. The US has also discussed economic stabilisation issues with the Taliban, particularly regarding the state of the Afghan economy and the challenges faced by the banking sector.

The US has emphasised that its interests in Afghanistan remain largely the same: to prevent terrorist groups in Afghanistan from threatening the US or its allies, to maintain regional stability, to encourage inclusive governance and the protection of human rights, and to address the humanitarian and economic crises in the country.

However, the Taliban's ideology and policies are often inimical to US goals, and the US has limited leverage over the Taliban regime. The US has also expressed concerns about the Taliban's ties to transnational terrorist groups, with the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul demonstrating that the Taliban has not met its pledge to cut ties with such groups.

The Taliban's non-interference in other countries' internal affairs

The Taliban's non-interference policy is driven by several factors, including their desire to maintain their independence and autonomy. By not interfering in the affairs of other countries, the Taliban aim to avoid external interference in their own internal affairs. Additionally, the Taliban's non-interference policy can be seen as a strategic move to avoid conflicts and focus on their domestic priorities.

The Taliban's non-interference policy has been a consistent aspect of their ideology and has guided their relations with other countries. However, it is important to note that the Taliban's non-interference policy does not mean they are completely isolated from the international community. They have engaged in diplomatic relations and participated in international negotiations, such as the US-Taliban agreement, while maintaining their non-interference stance.

The Taliban's ambiguous stance on the Gaza war

The Taliban's stance on the Gaza war has been ambiguous. While the group has not condemned or praised the parties involved, it has defended the Palestinian demand for the right to legitimate defence. However, the Taliban has also denied claims of joining Hamas on the battlefield, stating that it does not want to be part of the ongoing war with Israel.

• Financial Assistance from the United States: The Taliban needs the support of the United States and other Western governments, and risking that support by openly opposing Israel is not in their best interest. The Taliban is aware that taking a stance against Israel could lead to a reconsideration of America's approach towards the group, which could result in a shift in the approach of America's allies as well.
• Profiting from Creating a Crisis: Major crises like the one in Gaza divert the world's attention away from Afghanistan, which is beneficial to the Taliban as it removes the focus from the need to create a comprehensive democratic political structure in the country.
• Lack of Compromise on Human Rights: The Taliban has a poor track record when it comes to human rights, and their silence on the human rights violations in Gaza can be seen as a result of their own lack of commitment to human rights.
• The Principle of Non-Interference: The Taliban values the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and by not interfering in the Gaza war, they hope to persuade the world to adopt a similar approach when it comes to Afghanistan.
• Lack of Effectiveness of Intervention: The Taliban is not a legitimate and democratic government, and their support for Hamas would not have a significant impact on the conflict. Instead, it could turn Israel's Western allies away from supporting the Taliban.
• Reality of Being Wagner for the US: The Taliban has been accused of colluding with the US in the past, and their silence on the killing of Gaza residents is perplexing. Some speculate that the Taliban's approach to the Palestinian crisis is more aligned with the US than with its neighbouring countries.

While the Taliban has not openly supported Hamas in the Gaza war, there have been speculations and concerns from top US foreign affairs officials that the group could join the conflict. However, the Taliban has denied these claims and continues to maintain its ambiguous stance on the issue.

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