Terror attack at Kabul University

Muhammad Jalal

On Monday, terrorists carried out a deadly assault on Kabul University, killing more than 22 innocent students and lecturers and wounding more than 40, only a week after a similar terror attack hit Kausar Education Centre in the west of Kabul that also caused dozens of casualties. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemned the attacks and called it barbaric acts of enemies of Islam, Afghanistan and the peace process.

Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan never carry out attacks on educational institutes, public spaces, mosques or areas that have no military target. Islamic law makes it abundantly clear that all fighting on the battlefield must be directed solely against enemy combatants. Civilians and non-combatants must not be harmed during the course of hostilities. According to the Qur’ān 2:190:

وَقَاتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ وَلاَ تَعْتَدُواْ إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُحِبِّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ

“And fight in the way of Allah those who fight against you and do not transgress, indeed Allah does not like transgressors.”

In Islam, even during the course of hostilities, destruction of enemy property is strictly prohibited. The first caliph Abu Bakr (RAA) instructed his army commanders thus: “do not cut down fruit-bearing trees; do not destroy buildings; do not slaughter a sheep or a camel except for food; do not burn or drown palm trees”. It is prohibited for Muslims to commit any sort of takhrīb, wanton destruction, in enemy territories because such destruction constitutes  criminal act described in the Qur’ān as fasād fī al-arḍ (corruption in the land).

The attackers of recent assaults on civilian and public spaces are the evil elements which were defeated in Nangarhar and Jowzjan provinces and subsequently sought refuge with the Kabul administration. Only in December last year, hundreds of these savages under the siege of Mujahidin of the Islamic Emirate were flown out from Nangarhar province by Kabul administration – now hosted by NDS in the government housings in Kabul. While on the record, the Kabul regime condemn these attacks, but in reality it is the brutal NDS of Kabul administration that is using violence and terrorism for their political agendas. NDS directly supports these Takfiri terrorists on all levels; from supplies, recruitment, giving plans and instructions on how to conduct terrorist operations. Even the rout to the target is cleared for them by Kabul regime so these terrorists can easily travel undetected in military uniforms, fully armed and equipped, a tactic clearly visible in recent Kabul attacks.

The NDS’s agenda is to defame the Islamic Emirate and to damage the Afghan peace process so that they can remain in power and continue robbing Afghans and the international community. The masterminds of these terrorist attacks are Amrullah Saleh and his gang in the NDS. The brutal psychopathic disposition of Saleh is known to everyone. Let’s look at a recent example. Saleh arrogantly justified the attacks on Madrasah in the Takhar province saying that the killing of 12 children in a Madrasah was a revenge of the causalities of the regime special forces in the province. He has always been blunt about his brutality and once proudly exclaimed to local and international media that he has strangled many people with his own bare hands, and during his time as Interior Minister last year, went as far as to order one of his soldiers to chop the head of a civilian and bring it to his office. Such attacks are a synthesis of savagery and terror mixed with political motives of Amrullah Saleh. Without Saleh and NDS support, these evil elements will disappear from the face of Afghanistan within weeks. These terror outfits have no base and control over any territory, and are the most hated phenomena and a Fitna in Afghanistan. These tragic attacks like the one carried out on Kabul University will continue to happen so long as the masterminds of terror are in power in Kabul.

Unfortunately, such terrorist attacks have never been investigated. There needs to be a thoroughly transparent and credible investigation launched into these incidents. The people of Afghanistan have the right to know why and whom has been attacking them. Kabul administration officials are very quick to somehow attribute responsibility to the Islamic Emirate, which itself shows that these attacks are a joint venture carried out to manufacture raw propaganda material to spoil the peace process and to hold on to power.