Mohammad Asif Mohseni, a top Afghan cleric who was one of the law's main drafters, said the legislation cannot be revoked or changed because it was enacted through a legislative process — passed by both houses of parliament and signed by Mr. Karzai. He condemned the outcry, saying Western countries were trying to thwart democracy when results did not please them.If what Mr. Mohseni says is true, it seems to me the question turns back on the west. If this the democratically expressed will of the sovereign state of Afghanistan, why are we there?
“The Westerners claim that they have brought democracy to Afghanistan. What does democracy mean? It means government by the people for the people. They should let the people use these democratic rights,” Mr. Mohseni told reporters in the capital, Kabul.
Originally, we went to hide from George Bush's wrath for skipping Iraq. The cover story became we were there to "defeat" the Taliban. The PM has told us that is not going to happen. Long before this though, the cover story changed to a human rights narrative. We were told we were there so that little girls could go to school and women could escape the repression of the Taliban. Now, that that story is inoperative, I ask again, why are we there? Myself, I won't be surprised if the answer is "We are there because, shut up!" Recommend this Post
We are there because NATO invoked Article 5 after the 9/11 attacks, and also because it is a UNSC authorized mission.
ReplyDeleteAlso we're there because when we leave Afghanistan to be Afghanistan, bad things happen elsewhere. (See end of Charlie Wilson's War, etc.)
We may yet decide that our presence is no longer useful. (Feb 2011 is the date, now?)
I think this is more of an indictment of representative democracy. It creates winners and losers, with the winners forcing the losers to abide by the outcomes they don't agree too.
ReplyDeleteLike Hamas in Palestine, democracy seems only to be accepted when it creates outcomes we happen to agree with. Otherwise its is a sham.
Well, sorry but there are things worth dying for in this world, but enforcing the laws of shia clerics isn't one of them.
Whilke they have every right to pass those laws, we have every right to pull our troops out and bring them home.
And we should, right now. We aren't helping and we are now supporting those who are not that much better than the Taliban.
Why are we there? Good point. We ourselves are not even a fair democracy either but we are "on a mission" far away pretending to spread one.
ReplyDeleteWe are a brainwashed nation, with a strange sense of superiority.
While we are not throwing acid at women and knocking walls down over homosexuals, I shall maintain my sense of superiority.
ReplyDeleteWhat about electrocuting innocent people at an airport? will that do it for you?
ReplyDeleteOr proroguing parliament to stay in power? good?
ReplyDeleteI have more if you need them.