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Islamic Centre: Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Move On The Afghan Chessboard

A.Rafay

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Afghanistan is an ideal springboard and battleground for the spread of Saudi Sunni Wahhabism and Iranian Shiite fundamentalism throughout Central Asia; especially out towards the former Soviet breakaway nations that are hungry for any teaching necessary to fill the failed Bolshevik indoctrination vacuum; especially any form of Islam. Their knowledge of Islam was undeniably negated and atrophied after they were absorbed by the Soviet Union. Indeed, it is a race against time for both Iran and Saudi Arabia to dominate the region with their unique versions of the Muslim religion.

Ever since the Soviet’s pulled out of Afghanistan in 1989, this war-ravaged country has turned into the battleground for a proxy war among Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Now, however, this competition has taken a more robust form. Saudi Arabia has shifted its strategy by spending $100 million towards building an Islamic Centre in Kabul; to lure its Taliban protégés into efforts to reconcile with Kabul; and to neutralize Iran’s revolutionary message in Afghanistan and the region.

The influential Sunni monarchy “House of Saud” is embarking on a public display of diplomacy to position itself for a bigger and more prominent regional role by building a hefty priced Islamic complex in Afghanistan. A strategy solicited and cheered on by the naïve and incompetent Kabul elites who assume a peaceful solution is on the horizon, but the full consequence of all this has yet to be seen as the oil-rich Gulf States are on a direct collision course with their Shiite rival Iran. This is where Iran’s regional escalation of Islamic radicalization will play out as their foreign policy tool.
Pakistan too, will have the lion’s share of spreading Islamic radicalism by strengthening its “strategic depth” against its archrival India on the Afghan chessboard.

As a result, killing three birds with one stone is savoir-faire and a well calculated effort by Saudis and Pakistan by spreading Wahhabism, which Ayatollah Khomeini once called “America’s Islam.”

The proposed sprawling 75 acre (on Kabul’s hilltop known as “Tap-e-Maranjan”) mosque, Islamic Centre and education center will teach thousands of students. It will immediately be equated to the enormous Iranian-built “Khatem al-Nabyeen” Shiite Islamic University and religious school in Western Kabul; which was built at a cost of some $17 million by one of Afghanistan’s most Iranian-inclined clerics in 2006. The campus has a mosque, classrooms, and dormitories for its 1,000 students.

This religious rivalry raises a score of unanswered questions, such as: whether it’s curing Afghanistan’s decades of old problems or just spreading new hatred, disunity and terrorism in the country and region?

Is it crucial to build mainstream universities, hospitals, polytechnic institutions, arts and humanities Institutions to create a more bright future for the young Afghans or is it just to meet Saudi interests?

Is it vital to provide essential needs for the poor and deprived Afghan majority or are Saudis just showing off by building a pricey mosque?

The Saudis justify their position by stating; “This Islamic Centre has several aims, one is to ensure good relations between Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia and it is not a political centre but an independent centre.”

Indeed, such talk is despicable, as words are plentiful and deeds are precious. In fact, the Saudis’ “outside show” is a poor substitute for their inner worth.

That said, the Saudi deeds were bold and transparent after the 1989 Soviet pullout, when Washington and Moscow pledged not to interfere in Afghanistan. That decision turned the war-ravaged country into a battleground for a proxy war among Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Are we envisioning another repeat of post Soviet withdrawal but this time doomed to radicalize the region by eliminating Sufi Islam in Afghanistan and firmly establishing Wahhabi Islam, which is the root cause of terrorism in the world?

Islamic Centre: Saudi Arabia
 
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Every one in this foroum know the impact of this move....I was not aware that even Iran has also invested in such a way in Kabul...Now i can feel that i have a sympathy for Afgan people how they are going to be pawn in the Sunni Shia rivallary in the future....USA is so cunny that they donot want to leave Afganistan to their own hand rather they want to make in another middle east by bringing player from GCC.....US knows very well that once SA comes into the picture...Iran will be definitely reactive and starts playing its game more aggressively....

USA and all the nation including India has to understand that ultimately Afganistan has to leave as good neighour with Iran and Pakistan rather than India or Saudi Arabia or USA..So by inciting rivallary between SA and Iran in Afganistan and bringing SA into the picture, I donot feel USA has done any right thing....It can be suicidal in long term.
 
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Every one in this foroum know the impact of this move....I was not aware that even Iran has also invested in such a way in Kabul...Now i can feel that i have a sympathy for Afgan people how they are going to be pawn in the Sunni Shia rivallary in the future....USA is so cunny that they donot want to leave Afganistan to their own hand rather they want to make in another middle east by bringing player from GCC.....US knows very well that once SA comes into the picture...Iran will be definitely reactive and starts playing its game more aggressively....

USA and all the nation including India has to understand that ultimately Afganistan has to leave as good neighour with Iran and Pakistan rather than India or Saudi Arabia or USA..So by inciting rivallary between SA and Iran in Afganistan and bringing SA into the picture, I donot feel USA has done any right thing....It can be suicidal in long term.
What does USA have to do with this?
Its just a mosque. Calm down.
 
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What does USA have to do with this?
Its just a mosque. Calm down.

Dude donot take me wrong...Please donot think that SA should not get involved or should not build any mosque....But think about this timing and situation....and USA has a histroy that they always leave the invading nation in such a **** situation that that nation finds it very difficult to rise by his own which in turn creates another kind of dependancy on USA only..

So i am not pointing to SA rather its the geopolitics of USA that is worrying factor here....People of Afgan would really expect a lot more from SA in investing in different fields of capacity development of Afgan youth including education, electricity and technlogy areas....That will really make SA a much more regional influencial Islamic power in future...So bottom line is if your nation is ready to spend money then spend the money in the priority areas.....Of course...this is my personal opinion....I respect your opinion as you disagree with me....
 
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This useless islamic center and future base of al quaida terrorist should be razed to ground immedeatly. One cannot run a country on praying and fasting. What Afghanistan needs right now is education, health care, public services, employments, industry etc. Not some islamic center and bunch of mullahs teaching prayers, jihad and hijab.

The last thing afghan people need after almost 30 years of civil war and total destruction of country is some facility preaching more religion.

There are hundreds of homeless people in Saudi Arabia, may be this money can be diverted to provide some useful shelter at home.

Afghanistan should take a strict action by banning all foreign religious institutions, aid and missionaries from operating in Afghanistan to ensure it doesn't turn into a pawn once again.
 
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This useless islamic center and future base of al quaida terrorist should be razed to ground immedeatly. One cannot run a country on praying and fasting. What Afghanistan needs right now is education, health care, public services, employments, industry etc. Not some islamic center and bunch of mullahs teaching prayers, jihad and hijab.

The last thing afghan people need after almost 30 years of civil war and total destruction of country is some facility preaching more religion.

Erm, doesn't the same logic apply to Pakistan equally?
 
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This useless islamic center and future base of al quaida terrorist should be razed to ground immedeatly. One cannot run a country on praying and fasting. What Afghanistan needs right now is education, health care, public services, employments, industry etc. Not some islamic center and bunch of mullahs teaching prayers, jihad and hijab.

@somebozo: Dude you are spot on...I was like to say the same thing but again, if i will say then i will be blamed that i am presenting anti Islamic thought.....

If Afghanistan takes care of itself and clear up all the fundamentalist and terrorist element from its soil....then of course Afghanistan don't need any foreign involvement in its territory...be it US/Nato/India/Pakistan....We should leave them aside on their own...
 
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Erm, doesn't the same logic apply to Pakistan equally?


Yes it does - we need to drop the "islamic" part from Republic of Pakistan.

Islam did not turn Arabia into a cradle of civilization or beacon of knowledge even after 1400 years, that should be enough to shed some light. One should pick up cues when Saudi's themselves are trying to loosen the grip of religion over society and dissolve the power of mullahs in favor of more scientific education.
 
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@somebozo: Dude you are spot on...I was like to say the same thing but again, if i will say then i will be blamed that i am presenting anti Islamic thought.....

If Afghanistan takes care of itself and clear up all the fundamentalist and terrorist element from its soil....then of course Afghanistan don't need any foreign involvement in its territory...be it US/Nato/India/Pakistan....We should leave them aside on their own...

Afghanistan is a natural ally of Iran due to cultural closeness. Pitting regional rivalries in the name of religion in Afghanistan will turn it back to Taliban days.
 
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It is very unfortunate that the Saudis with all their wealth and power found it absolutely necessary to make a mosque first in Afghanistan rather than a residential complex, hospital, college or something much more essential.
 
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