Tajik religious scholars are more alien to their culture, history, language, and identity than religious scholars of any other ethnic group in Afghanistan.
Author: Rustam Rushangar, analyst, especially for Sangar
I have said many times that the Tajik mullahs, more than the mullahs of any other tribe in Afghanistan, are alien to their culture, history, language, and identity. They are ready to very simply sacrifice their identity and cultural values to Arab culture and customs in the name of religion. Other tribes don't have this. Pashtun, Hazara, and Uzbek mullahs know their people and, in addition to promoting religion, they are also aware of the values of their own identity.
One of the reasons is the low level of understanding and knowledge of the so-called Tajik theologians. Perhaps among Tajiks, more than among other ethnic groups, there are many mullahs, mawlavis, and Qaris. Most of them do not have a proper understanding of religion, as well as knowledge of their history, identity, and culture. They quickly become radicalized and easily move on to issuing fatwas.
Another reason is that there is little work on cultural and identity values among Tajiks, and Afghan Tajiks are more indifferent to issues of ethnicity and identity than other ethnic groups. In other words, they are negligent in preserving ethnic and identity values and pass them on very easily.
How did the Tajik's national values and identity become an object of bargaining? If Tajik mullahs sacrifice them for the sake of religion, Tajik politicians trade them in the political market, using them under the name of nationalism and expediency, Tajik businessmen sacrifice them for the sake of business, a Tajik artist trades them in the field of art, and a Tajik athlete in the field of sports and...
But apart from the low level of the national and cultural consciousness of Tajik mullahs, the declaration of jihad against the government of Tajikistan is rather an intelligence project. The sponsors of terrorism (intelligence networks) have found the easiest way to destabilize our region by promoting takfirism and religious extremist thinking. They pay some mullahs, ignorant of history and culture, to declare jihad against various ethnic groups and peoples. And also the mullahs think that what they do is both a good deed and bread from God. They promote both religious jihad and get paid for it. They do not know who the main and hidden driving forces of such thoughts are.
The government of Tajikistan led by Emomali Rahmon, adhering to cultural approaches and supporting the anti-terrorist National Resistance Front, has come under attack from religious extremists and supporters of terrorism who intend to implement a plan to destabilize the countries of Central Asia through a project of global jihad. It was allocated huge sums of money for religious propaganda against the Tajik government.
Unfortunately, half of the Tajik takfiri mullahs serve this purpose. Taking advantage of the ignorance of the unemployed and hungry youth, they propagate against the government of Tajikistan with enthusiasm, and the young people chanting “Allahu Akbar” are ready to become victims in the path of terrorism propaganda and think that they are in the path of God.
