See also Afghanistan Analysis: After Rabbani's Death, A New Plan is Needed
On Tuesday, Burhanuddin Rabbani, the former President of Afghanistan, was killed by a suicide bomber in his residence. With Rabbani heading the council tasked with negotiating peace with the Taliban, his death is being portrayed as a tragedy for the country.
That is, it is being portrayed as a tragedy by foreign correspondents in Kabul and observers who may have only started paying attention to Afghanistan after 2001. The story, however, is more complex if the tellers are ordinary Afghans.
Immediately after I heard of his demise, I started getting calls, Facebook messages, and e-mails. So while I was going to write a "eulogy" for Rabbani, just as I did for Ahmad Wali Karzai, the brother of the Afghan President, in July, now I’m just going to serve as an outlet for other Afghan voices.
I am certain that, in addition to those portraying the tragedy of the event, there will be plenty of people --- especially Tajik nationalists –-- who will object to any criticism of Rabbani. And perhaps I may have friends and acquaintances who are partial in their opinion. The fact remains that some of the population, may be perfectly fine, and even happy, that Rabbani was killed.
I’m withholding the names of my correspondents for their safety.
“No, you don’t understand. How could you ever understand my pain? I lost kids to this [expletive]’s greed for power. Do you think I’ll go to bed now without thinking about how my three-year old died in my arms while we were trying to get out of Kabul? This changes nothing. All it did was remind me again of how much I have lost.”
“Call me later. I need to call people who don’t know. Sorry if my voice is shaking. I’m a little too excited over this.”
“First, they f***** us during the 80s by dismantling our de jure government and selling our country to foreigners. Then, they f***** us during the 90s by fighting among themselves. If only the Taliban had killed them all, they wouldn’t be able to f*** us right now when we have a shot at democracy.”
“I’m disappointed and sad. I always imagined he’d be abducted and then tortured before he died. Life is so cruel, Josh.”
“Don’t be happy over someone’s death. I don’t blame you for being happy, but it’s a little out of character. Now he goes to meet Allah and he will deal to him what he dealt to all of us. Leave it to the fires of Hell; it’s out of our hands now.”
“I wish you were closer so I could give you a big hug. Dilema zinda kadi qate zanget (Translation: You breathed life into my heart with your call).”
“First Gen. [Mohammad] Daud, then, Ahmad Wali Karzai and now Rabbani. Can we have [General Abdul Rashid] Dostum next month? I would really like to see Dostum die. I know you shouldn’t wish for people’s death, but I can’t help myself right now.”
“I’m going to turn off my TV. I don’t want this to be ruined by interviews with warlords who will tell me I should be sad.”
“Oh, so that was what it was. I was beginning to wonder why my warlord neighbor was upset this morning. I’ll make sure not to look too happy in front of him if I see him in the next week. I have kids to feed, *laugh*.”
“Here’s a joke: Rabbani goes to join his other friend Mazari [a Hazara warlord, killed in the 90s by the Taliban under the pretext of negotiations] in Hell. Mazari says, “You went to negotiate too?” … [I told him it was a terrible joke]… “Wait, in a few weeks, you will hear much better jokes from people all over Kabul.”
“Wait, they came to tell him they were Taliban representatives and wanted to negotiate with him or something? Look, you know I thought these negotiations with the Taliban are fruitless, but if this is how the Taliban are going to negotiate with the warlords, I’m all for it!”
“I’m going to save my happiness until Sayyaf, Dostum, Mohaqiq and all their other friends are dead too. Then, I’m going to take a pilgrimage to all their graves and then p** on all their graves. I don’t want anyone of them to be alive and chop off my p**** if I do it now.”
“Good thing you called me first. I didn’t want to call you because you know, I’m a Pashtun and I didn’t want you to think I’m happy because a Tajik warlord died. I’m going to be just as happy when they kill Hekmatyar [a Pashtun warlord] and I’m friends with his distant cousin.”
“Really? If I get virgins in Heaven, I’m going to give them to that suicide bomber.”
“Don’t talk about this, Josh jan. I know you are going to be angry about everyone trying to defend him. I’m going to be angry too. But you have family here still and they might hurt your family....[I told him my father does not approve of my views and the warlords know it]....It doesn’t matter. These are people. They are animals. They will harm people just for fun. Don’t you remember what they did in Kabul when they had power? Don’t write anything about them until they are all dead. Then maybe there will be some peace, you can come back and we can both sit and cry our fate. God d*** Rabbani and God d*** his other friends. Why do we have to live like this because of them? When is this going to ever end? When will they all die? Does God not listen to the prayers of a cursed nation? Khuda jan, ma megom ke yakeesha namaani! [O God, don’t let one of them live!]”
“…and Americans wonder why some people still love the Taliban. You are in America. Can’t you tell Americans that if they kill Rabbani’s other [expletive] friends, people will love them more?”