Afghanistan. What are we to do about Afghanistan?
Fundamentally, the pacifist inside of me is always against war, killing and aggression in all forms. I embrace MLK when he said: “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Yet, it is difficult for me to find a way to practice love for the Taliban. Though I was born after the end of World War II, I do believe I might have enlisted in the military effort to defeat the Nazis had I been alive. That enlistment would not be in alignment with my pacificist position.
What is the correct position for the U.S. to take regarding Afghanistan? If the U.S. withdraws, it seems perfectly clear what will happen. Most likely, the Taliban will do what it has traditionally done. They will go into a village, drag out the village leader(s) and, after amassing all the other men, women and children of the village into the public area, decapitate the leader(s).
In addition, they will subject all the women to a brutal suppression, kill any of them that oppose or resist their rule, deny them any professional positions and deny them any formal education as well as all formal education for the female children.
Given this dilemma, what position should a pacifist take? On one level it seems obvious — just as with the Nazis — this kind of behavior cannot be tolerated and must be resisted and defeated with all necessary force. Perhaps it is the case, as with everything else, that there are always exceptions. Yet, it feels painful and tragic not to be able to adhere to the tenets of pacifism as it requires.
alan kanner
Amherst