What's Happening in Afghanistan?

Peace be upon you, dear audience.

Introduction: America's Withdrawal and the Return of the Taliban

America's withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban's return to power after twenty years of war is a very significant event with immense repercussions, and only Allah knows best. Many Muslims are confused: Is this a defeat for the West? Or are events unfolding according to America's and the international system's plans? Will this apparent victory for Muslims be followed by a setback and disappointment?

Your brother has been following events since the beginning a quarter of a century ago, when the Taliban emerged and then took power, and then when NATO fought them and occupied Afghanistan, meaning the stage that many of today's youth did not witness.

Did America and NATO Defeat Afghanistan?

We say, with Allah's guidance: Did America and NATO defeat Afghanistan? The answer, without a doubt or hesitation, is yes, they were defeated in a very humiliating manner. This is the first defeat that the West has received in the Islamic world in decades.

The West's Admission of Defeat

Follow the statements of the American president, the British defense minister, Angela Merkel, and American, British, and French newspapers, and you will know that they admit that what happened was a humiliating defeat. Even The Independent said, "The humiliation of the West in Afghanistan is now complete."

Those who think that this is not according to America's will and that what is happening may be part of what America is planning, we say to them: America will not risk its military reputation for any reason, and it will not admit defeat unless it is real. It builds its economic superiority on its military superiority, and the shaking of its military reputation is expected to have significant consequences. It is inconceivable that it would gamble with all of this for a conspiracy hidden from the world.

The Economist published an article titled, "The catastrophic failure in Afghanistan is a devastating blow to America's standing." And France 24 concludes an article by saying, "And observers considered that the reputation of the United States as a great power has been greatly damaged." And the British Middle East Eye publishes an article titled, "The humiliation of the United States in Afghanistan may be a turning point in world history."

There is now a state of severe attack within America on the Biden administration and mockery of it. If America had achieved something from its war on Afghanistan, it would have announced it to preserve its dignity and save face, whereas the reality is that America is receiving insults and cannot defend itself with anything.

One even said, "If you ever feel worthless, all you have to do is remember that America spent four presidents, trillions of dollars, and the lives of millions over twenty years to replace the Taliban with the Taliban." Imagine if the American administration wanted to wage any war after this, what would it say to its people to gain their support and funding? We, dear audience, are not talking now about a fleeting ordinary moment, but about a new era for America and its superiority.

Refuting the Conspiracy Theory

This is the first point: that it is not appropriate to doubt that what happened is a defeat and a break in the will of the international system. Is it reasonable that America and NATO, consisting of thirty countries and other countries with them, could not achieve their goals in Afghanistan? Yes, they could not.

What were the declared goals of NATO when the war began twenty years ago? Among the most important goals: defeating the Taliban and establishing a Western-defined democratic system in Afghanistan. What happened was the exact opposite. America could not eliminate the Taliban and negotiated with them repeatedly to lay down their arms, and the Taliban refused. It negotiated with them about Sharia, and the Taliban insisted on it, so America was forced to withdraw in the end.

This goal could have been achieved without twenty years of war and the West, especially America, incurring enormous losses in its military reputation, soldiers, and money. The American presidency is no longer talking about achievements and the fulfillment of goals, but about minimizing losses.

The American president says in his speech, "I stand firmly behind my decision. After twenty years, I have learned the hard way that there will never be a good time to withdraw American forces." Meaning, whatever the time of withdrawal, there will be losses. And he says, "How many generations of my sons and daughters of Americans do you want me to send to fight the Afghans? How many American lives? How many endless graves in Arlington National Cemetery?" These statements, dear audience, and this speech are the statements and speech of the one who admits defeat and tries to get out with the least losses.

Where are the Intelligence Capabilities?

So, where are the intelligence capabilities of America and NATO? Don't they know everything about Muslims? Aren't they planning for decades ahead? And everything that is happening now was planned from ancient times? No. And the events refute this deified image of the West.

The American presidency had stated with confidence a month ago that the Taliban would not take over, and that a strong Afghan army had been prepared. Then, when the rapid collapse occurred, Biden came out to admit that what happened was not expected.

Is the War Over? Future Challenges

So, the very important question now: Does this mean that the war is over in all its forms, and that America and NATO have surrendered to the status quo, and will stop scheming against Afghanistan? Of course not.

Signs of Continued Scheming

And there are signs such as:

• Supporting some figures inside Afghanistan to ignite the spark of civil war.
• Threatening with international boycott and economic blockade.
• Creating a financial crisis and freezing the state's funds abroad.
• Pressuring the Taliban by all means to involve symbols from the previous government and personalities affiliated with countries.
• Attempts at soft containment through some intermediary countries.
• Planting seeds of internal conflict and destruction.

What they could not achieve with military force, they are now seeking to achieve through other means.

So, is it possible that America wants the Taliban to enter into internal conflict or wars with countries like Russia or China or be a stumbling block in the way of their projects? Possible, and this is part of American policy, that even if things do not go as they wish, they try to exploit the event with an alternative plan.

Explaining the Speed of Collapse

So, isn't there a great strangeness in what is happening from the speed of the collapse of the Western-supported state in Afghanistan and its army and the speed of the Taliban's control over Afghanistan? Yes, and this has many explanations in the political analyses and not in our words. But we say in haste, dear audience: You are now seeing the last moments of a story that lasted twenty years, and you think that the reversal of the scales happened only in these days, and the matter is not like that.

Then, the Taliban have been working throughout the past twenty years, and they were able to obscure the global media, and incidents appeared indicating that they have arms in the army, and the corruption of the puppet state in recent years created hatred for it among the Afghan people. And America was looking for a safe withdrawal, and it seems that the price of that in return was abandoning its support for the Afghan army. And the fighter in the Afghan army loyal to America does not have a fighting doctrine, so what do you expect from him when he sees the withdrawal of America that was paying his salary?

And can we guarantee that they will stand firm in the face of the great amount of scheming and challenges that even mountains cannot bear and only Allah's company protects from it? We do not guarantee that they will stand firm, and the Muslim hopes that Allah will make their Muslim brothers in Afghanistan stand firm.

Lessons Learned from the Event

Now, my brothers, the important point from what has preceded: America and the West will not stop working and planning regarding Afghanistan, and they may want to involve it in internal and external wars, and we do not know what will be in the future and the extent of the steadfastness of the Afghans or their being affected by what is happening to them. All of this does not negate the fact that the West, with its power, arrogance, planning, and arsenals, has suffered a great defeat, and it has not been able to enforce its will, and the steadfastness of the Afghans has shattered the prestige of contemporary empires, just as the steadfastness of the Afghans in the past shattered the prestige of the British Empire and the Soviet Union.

The Reality of the West's Defeat

And all that we have mentioned should not prevent us from greatly benefiting from this huge event and learning the faith-based lessons from it. It is a very wrong stance to mix between the two matters, so that this event passes while we are busy with apprehension, doubt, and waiting for the coming days, so we do not benefit from it as we should. But we do not want to fall into the trap and be ignorant, that the devil falls into his trap and deceives you when you do not benefit from an event of this magnitude.

Brothers, do you know what happened? Do you imagine the magnitude of the matter? Forty countries, including great powers with their military arsenals, gathered to wage war against poor, weak Muslims with primitive weapons, fought them because they refused to submit to the international system, and the hypocrites within the country allied with these countries. And this war lasted for twenty years, preceded by a siege that lasted for years. Nevertheless, the Muslims stood firm and forced the great powers of the world to eventually leave in humiliation and disgrace.

Regardless of your stance on the Taliban, notice that in all my speech, I have not addressed the evaluation of the Taliban in the past or the Taliban in the present. I only say to you: Beware on the Day of Judgment if your Lord asks you why you were saying about such and such a Muslim that the source was the global media, the source was CNN and BBC. But regardless of your stance towards them, know that NATO killed more civilians in Afghanistan than they killed of the Taliban.

According to Western reports, many of the youth did not witness what we witnessed over these twenty years. The Western soldiers had killed Muslims in Afghanistan and excelled in killing them, tortured them, raped their women, raped their children, boys and girls, imprisoned them, and took pleasure in cutting off their fingers to keep them as souvenirs. They bombed Quran memorization centers on the days of their students' graduation, bombed Afghan mourning houses and their houses of joy, took pleasure in burning corpses, took pictures beside them, urinated on them, and severed the limbs of children, men, and women with bombs, and drove them to shelters and borders where they die of hunger, thirst, and cold. We have witnessed all of this in sound and images, and many of the youth do not know anything about it and have only seen the last shot.

Then some people come to you with all their foolishness and say: What will happen to the Afghan woman now? She will be forced to wear the hijab! By God, is this what concerns you? There is no power except in Allah. Is it not a sign of loving Allah, His Messenger, and allegiance to Allah and His Messenger that you rejoice in this relief for your Muslim brothers after what they have tasted? So, it distracts from the necessary legal stance, from rejoicing for your Muslim brothers, benefiting from what happened to them, feeling the causes of steadfastness that they took, and their allegiance as Allah has commanded.

A Faith-Based Lesson

The most important thing I came to draw attention to in today's speech, honored ones, is that we should take a faith-based, covenantal lesson: that world powers are not gods, but subjugated slaves to the power of Allah the Almighty, who is not incapable of anything on earth or in the heavens. From Him, we derive victory, and upon Him, we rely and fear none but Him, glorified be He.

"Say, O Allah, Master of the Kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will and take the kingdom from whom You will; You exalt whom You will and humble whom You will. In Your hand is the good. Indeed, You are over all things competent."

Many Muslims had seeped into their hearts despair and imagined that Allah's victory for His servants is unlikely in the age of airplanes, satellites, and nuclear bombs. Many Muslims reached the stage of the shirk of fear, fearing their enemies, and reached the stage of doubting Allah's promise. What happened in our days confirms that neither America nor NATO nor the international system are gods who do as they please. What happened is an argument from Allah to all His creation.

The strange thing is that the American president learned the lesson that military power fails, while many Muslims are drowning in apprehension and mixing matters and did not learn it. The American president says clearly: "The events we are witnessing now clearly indicate that no military power, no matter how great, can produce a stable, united, and secure Afghanistan." It is known in history, the American president says: "It is known in history as the graveyard of empires."

You may say: But perhaps the Afghans will not stand firm in the future, perhaps they will submit to temptations and threats, perhaps in the future there will be effects of agreements we are not aware of. Even if so, what may happen in the future does not contradict the fact that they have currently defeated the West. Allah's argument is established by the current events that the enemies of the Muslims are defeated if the Muslims stand firm. This has been established evidently and sensibly after it has been established faithfully with us. If the Muslims deviate after that, they have failed, but this does not negate this fact, but rather confirms it that Allah's victory is linked to His obedience, that Allah's victory is linked to His obedience, so whoever disobeys Him fails.

Comparison with History

What will happen in the future? Allah knows best, but the principle remains steadfast, and the lesson is eternal. The Soviet Union left Afghanistan defeated, and its defeat there was the beginning of its disintegration, but then discord spread among the Afghans, and calamities befell them. Does this negate the fact that the Soviet Union was defeated? Never, and we ask Allah to steadfast the Muslims this time on what He loves, and to complete for this nation from its affair righteousness.

Warning Against Mixing Matters

My words, honored ones, are like the framework and introduction, otherwise, there are many lessons from these events. I started with this introduction so that it is not said to me every time I comment on the details of the matter: "So, you poor thing, do you believe that what is happening is real?" We understand very well the extent of the harm, and we do not know what will be in the coming days. But we do not mix matters with each other.

Finally: A Call to Spread

Finally, when I commented on the events a few days ago on Facebook with a brief comment, the Facebook administration deleted it and directed a warning to the page and sent that it would proceed to limit the spread of the page's posts. So, we ask you, honored ones, to help spread the word for the benefit of the Muslims. And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.