Profile of Afghanistan:
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01. Badakhshan Fayzabad 44,836 1,054,100 24
02. Badghis Qala i Naw 20,794 549,600 26
03. Baghlan Puli Khumri 18,255 1,014,600 56
04. Balkh Mazar-i-Sharif 16,186 1,509,200 93
05. Bamyan Bamyan 18,029 495,600 28
06. Daykundi Nili 17,501 516,500 30
07. Farah Farah 49,339 563,000 11
08. Faryab Maymana 20,798 1,109,200 53
09. Ghazni Ghazni 22,460 1,362,500 61
10. Ghor Chaghcharan 36,657 764,500 21
11. Helmand Lashkargah 58,305 1,446,200 25
12. Herat Herat 55,868 2,140,700 38
13. Jowzjan Sheberghan 11,292 602,100 53
14. Kabul Kabul 4,524 5,204,700 1,151
15. Kandahar. Kandahar 54,844 1,399,600 26
16. Kapisa Mahmud-i-Raqi 1,908 488,300 256
17. Khost Khost 4,235 636,500 150
18. Kunar Asadabad 4,926 499,400 101
19. Kunduz Kunduz 8,081 1,136,700 141
20. Laghman Mihtarlam. 3,978 493,500 124
21. Logar Pul-i-Alam 4,568 434,400 95
22. Nangarhar Jalalabad 7,641 1,701,700 223
23. Nimruz Zaranj 42,410 183,600 4
24. Nuristan Parun 9,267 163,800 18
25. Paktia Gardez 5,583 612,000 110
26. Paktika Sharana 19,516 775,500 40
27. Panjshir Bazarak 3,772 169,900 45
28. Parwan Charikar 5,715 737,700 129
29. Samangan Samangan 13,438 430,500 32
30. Sar-e-Pol Sar-e-Pol 16,386 621,000 37
31. Takhar Taloqan 12,458 1,093,100 88
32. Uruzgan Tarinkot 11,474 436,100 38
33. Maidan Wardak Maidan Shar 10,348 660,300 64
34. Zabul Qalat 17,472 384,300 22
Aimak - 4%, Turkmen - 3%, Baloch - 2%, Others - 4%.
Ethnicity and Religion:
An Afghan's ethnicity is generally presumed to determine which denomination of Islam they belong to. There are two main variations of Islam (Sunni and Shi'a) followed in Afghanistan.
Most Pashtuns, Tajiks and Uzbeks are Sunni, while Hazaras constitute the largest Shi'a population in Afghanistan. However, there are some exceptions, such as the Pashtun Turi tribe and the Badakshan Tajiks, who are Shi'a.
Schools of Law:
Most Afghan Sunni Muslims belong to the Hanafi Islamic school of law.
Approximately 90% of the Shi'a population belong to the Twelver sect following the Jafari school, although some are Ismaili Shi'ites.
Religious Conflict:
Afghanistan has struggled with sectarian tensions between its Sunni and Shi'a populations. In addition, Sunni-dominated governments have a history of discrimination against minority Shi'ites.
The Taliban, a radicalised Sunni terrorist insurgency group, targets and kills members of minority religious communities over their beliefs. They often attack Shi'a places of worship or religious ceremonies. Civilian casualties resulting from attacks deliberately targeting Shi'a mullahs and places of worship have increased markedly since 2016. The Hazara Shi'a population is generally the most common victim of ethno-religious terrorism.
Dogma and Orthodoxy:
There are many restrictions on people's religious practices in Afghanistan. In addition, local Muslim religious leaders limit social activities they consider inconsistent with Islamic doctrine. For example, women of several faiths report continued harassment from local Muslim religious leaders over their attire. As a result, almost all women (both local and foreign) wear some form of head covering.
Drug Capital of the World:
Whatever they may say in defence, the Taliban has allowed the agriculture and economy to covert Afghanistan into the drug hub of the world. It provides 85% of the estimated global heroin and morphine supply, a near-monopoly. How one can reconcile the religious piety and alliance with the worldwide drug mafia that also bankrolls terror groups around the world, leading to the destruction of the health of generations of youth at home and abroad - It isn't easy to comprehend.
Hunger For Spirituality:
Sufism is considered an essential part of Islam in Afghanistan. Sufism has been part of Afghanistan for as long as 1300 years, recognised as the "Home of Sufi Saints". Most of the people in Afghanistan are followers of Sufism. Popular, Qawwali, devotional Sufi music is sung all over the country.
Sufism in Afghanistan faced its dark phase during the Taliban rule (1996 to 2001). It is said that the Wahabi school-educated Taliban tortured many Sufis, and their musical instruments were destroyed. This act of cruelty led Sufis to remain underground for many years. On 15 March 2012, 11 Afghani Sufis were killed. In 2018 around 50 religious scholars were the victims of suicide bombing during the Mawlid celebration in Afghanistan.
"Sufism has shaped Afghan society and politics for much of the country's history. Might the Sufis now provide an important contribution to the stability of the country."
Practise of Terrorism:
Anyone accused of blasphemy or apostasy is likely to face strong societal discrimination and can be sentenced to severe punishments, such as death. Such laws and penalties surrounding blasphemy and apostasy from Islam have been used to harass religious minorities. Threats of kidnapping and death directed at journalists, employees of NGOs, and others are serious and common.
Foreign Interests:
The geopolitical significance of Afghanistan has made it the playground of expansionist foreign powers, beginning with the 19th-century British and Russian Tsarist empires followed by the period of the Cold War between the West and the Soviet Union (1950-1990). Again, post-9/11, it became central to the global war on terror that shows no signs of ending anytime soon. Hungry for raw materials and Minerals, China finds an opportunity to exploit the untapped resource-rich Afghanistan at its doorstep and enlarge its new Silk Road Project. Pakistan seeks a military strategic depth against India; and makes common cause with China to shore up its economy with the American benefactors leaving it high and dry, suffering its deception for decades.
Taliban 2 :
In its new version, Taliban2 is a greater threat to Afghans and the world, as it has secured the recognition of world powers. The Pakistan-China axis poses twin challenges. One is Pakistan prompted the Wahabi-schooled Taliban's campaign to destroy Afghan Identity Culture and Languages. The group was responsible for destroying the unique heritage of Bamiyan Buddhas who today share power in the government. Second is China propelled colonial-style exploitation of the mineral-rich country for global domination.
Taliban seeks legitimacy based on a dogmatic Wahabi interpretation of Sharia Law for the control of its citizens that violates the universally recognised cardinal human values and the Sufi spirit of Afghanistan.
Re-discovering Sufi Roots:
The struggle may be a long haul and complicated. First, Afghans must rediscover their Sufi roots of Spirituality and launch 34 province-wise socio-economic movements for self-reliance as envisaged under Shrii P R Sarkar's revolutionary socio-economic model - PROUT.
Only the universal Afghan Sufism and an anti-exploitation sentiment in all the spheres - physical, mental and spiritual, - will serve to unite the plural society of Afghanistan against exploitation and exploiters (China, Pakistan etc.) and the internal exploitation by Trans-Province transfer of resources and also the inequalities in opportunities for members within the community.
Prout economy ensures control of local resources by the local people for proper utilisation through Collectives for local production and consumption for all-round welfare of every community of the 34 Provinces.
Prout activists have a Mission to share with oppressed humanity and illuminate the path to personal and social welfare and happiness.
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