http://www.iran-press-service.com/articles_2001/mar_2001/afqanestan_pedram_27301.htm
TALEBAN TO START “SOON” DESTRUCTION OF SHI’A MOSQUES AND SYMBOLS
By Safa Haeri
PARIS 27 Mar. (IPS) The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, encouraged by Saudi Arabia, is to embark soon on the destruction of all monuments, pilgrimage places, shrines and mosques belonging to Shi’ite faith, according to an informed Afghan intellectual.
“Now that the ruling Taleban have destroyed historic Buddha statues, they would start soon the systematic destruction of all the major shrines and mosques that belongs to the Shi’a, including the “Rowza” shrine in Mazar Sharif, the “Jam Minars” in Heart or the Shah Shamshireh mosque and “Pir Boland” pilgrimage place in Kabul”, said Mr. Latif Pedram, a Paris-based professor of oriental studies.
Observing that both the Vahabites and the Taleban Sunni consider the Shi’a as “infidels” and stranger to Islam, Mr. Pedram said the Saudis are giving the Taleban “millions of Dollars” in order to eradicate all symbols of Shi’ism and replace them with Vahabite mosques and shrines.
Vahabisme is the official religion in Saudi Arabia, one of the richest of Arab nations while majority of the Iranians, the Iraqis and the Azeris are Shi’a Muslims.
Shi’as also forms between 20 to 25 per cent of the populations in neighbouring Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey and possesses historic monuments and mosques.
Mr. Pedram said both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are encouraging the Taleban to “clean” the country from the signs and symbols of all other religions that are not of Sunni or Vahabi Islams.
The money wealthy Vahabites pour into Ben Laden coffers not only helps strengthening Saudi influence in the region and the gradual replacing of Shi’ism by Vahabism, but also is a way of satisfying their religious duties, said Mr. Pedram, who is also a journalist.
Speaking in an interview with Iran Press Service, Mr. Pedram said the recent visit to the United States of Rahamatollah Hashemi, the 24 years old “adviser” to the Taleban’s supreme leader Mollah Mohammad Omar, was both arranged and worked out by the Pakistan diplomacy aimed at “reactivating” Taleban’s presence in America.
“The main goal of Rahmatollah is to brief the Americans on Ben Laden issue, to explain them Mollah Omar’s stand on the subject and at the same time strike a new understanding with Washington”, the Afghan scholar said.
Last week, the Envoy delivered a letter from the Taleban leader for President George W. Bush, calling for better Afghan-US relations and offering new round of negotiations concerning Mr. Osama Ben Laden, a wealthy Saudi anti-American “crusader” accused by Washington of several terrorist operations on American interests, including the twin bombing of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1994.
Mr. Pedram confirmed that thanks to millions, if not billions, he get from other wealthy Arabs to continue his crusade, Mr. Ben Laden has become “almost independent” from the ruling Taleban.
“With the money he has, Ben Laden has raised an army of Arabs, Afghans, Pakistanis and other Muslims and at the same time pays handsomely some of the most influential orthodox ulemas around Mollah Omar”, Mr. Pedram pointed out.
Not only Ben Laden has become an important and influential force in Afghanistan independent of the Taleban establishment, but also even Omar himself can hardly make any decision on him alone, Afghan watchers said.
Mr. Pedram doubted the Americans resolve on the Taleban, pointing that in the absence of any alternative, the Taleban are the best asset the Americans have in curtailing the influence of Russia and Iran in the area.
“In the eventual case the Americans want to apply serious pressures on Iran, the Taleban are there to immediately create trouble for Iran at the borders and even provide bases to Iranians opposed to the regime, like the Baghdad-based Mujahedeen Khalq”, Mr. Pedram noted.
Actually Taleban did offer bases to the MKO at the height of military tension that erupted more than a year ago, placing the two nations at the brink of war.
“If Washington was serious in getting rid of the Taleban, it should have started by putting pressure on Pakistan, the Taleban’s masters”, Mr. Pedram observed, adding: “But the problem facing the Americans is that outside the Ben Laden factor, they need the Taleban to advance their policy in this strategic region of Asia”.
He said the “paradox” of the absence of a clear American policy for this region is that Ahmad Shah Mas’ood, the the veteran Afghan Commander who continue to resist the Taleban had no other choice but turning to Russia, China, India and Iran, “all US foes” for military support.