XHABIR DERALLA

The propaganda kitchens of the radical right-wing parties and groups, which throughout the years we have come to know and remember them for their fake patriotism, bloody violence and crime, have embarked on a new campaign. They are doing what they know best: they lie and spread hatred and panic, with the purpose of profiting.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HUMANITARIAN MISSION AND MIGRANT CRISIS

For the Taliban of our neighbourhood, participating in a global humanitarian mission is a migrant crisis. They probably really don’t know the difference. And even if they do know it, they will keep quiet.

There were times when we believed that they understand social political processes and events, but after so many years filled with manifestation of a scandalously low level of knowledge and understanding of things, we can now confirm for sure– they are unknowing.

It’s no use that they have academic titles. The biggest crime is that they are in various teaching departments and teach young people. The lowest, most immoral act is that they are agitating in classrooms and university amphitheatres.

The public has to be informed: we are not facing a migrant crisis, but rather our country is taking part in a global humanitarian action for mitigating the humanitarian and political disaster that the Afghanistan nation is facing. Once again we have the opportunity to be celebrated as a country open to helping when another nation is in trouble.

A nation that throughout history has seen the horrors of persecution, war and natural disasters, can assess when and how it needs to deal with human misfortune. Fortunately, my strong impression is that most people in our country know about humanity and solidarity.

LET’S BE GRATEFUL FOR THE CHANCE TO BE HUMANE AND IN SOLIDARITY

A colleague of mine, a few days ago sent me a photo from the sign that stands next to the Universal Hall in Skopje, on which is a list of the countries who have donated funds for it to be built after the catastrophic earthquake in 1963. The first country on that list is: Afghanistan! Do our Taliban know that?

Many of our fellow citizens in these past two decades were part of missions in Afghanistan, worked and earned there and brought their money home. Some of them are now being evacuated with humanitarian action led by the US Army. And they will tell us what was going on there. Our fellow citizens who are being evacuated from Afghanistan are living witnesses of the bloody events.

I am certain that from their testimonies we will be convinced, once again, why we need to remain a humane society, open to all who have been, are or sometime will be struck by tragedy. We need to be thankful for the chance to show our humanity and solidarity.

An Afghan woman, giving a statement for the media in which she says that the Taliban will kill them and that women will be deprived of their rights (screenshot of a video of London Guardian)

I am sure that those who will come from Afghanistan to our country will be precious guests from whom we will be able to learn much. Among them, as we have learned from reports of world media, there are entrepreneurs, media workers, humanitarians, translators, students, intellectuals… Among them are women, girls and children who are running away from the horror of the Taliban bloody repression.

Those are people who believe in democracy, freedom and equality. And who, because of their progressive thinking and action, are now a target of the extremists. Those are people who are a target of the Taliban.

WE TOO HAVE TALIBAN, THEY USE FEAR AS A WEAPON

Progressive Afghans are under threat to their lives and are fleeing before the raid of the Taliban. But we too have Taliban here. They take great pleasure in other people’s misfortune, lie and manipulate with the emotions of people, they disinform.

With one purpose, personal and political profit. The time is right for them, local elections are coming. Again: They use fear as a weapon.

Again we see the Macedonian public intimidated from the disinformation and threats being made from the Taliban of our neighbourhood. This morning I read a text from my colleagues in CIVIL’s monitoring team, titled “The Taliban of Levica are threatening they will be dragging civic activists and party dissidents on hoods”.

Right after that is a manipulation with an old photo. “Only men are coming from Afghanistan”, is said in the new manipulation with an old photo. And even if it were so, are our “manly” Taliban from the competition intimidated? (I know that at the same time it is funny and sad, but this will hurt them the most).

Our Taliban certainly don’t want to see that the people who will come from Afghanistan are fleeing from the terror of the extremists, from the Taliban, because they will recognize themselves in those who have caused their difficult fate.

If weapons were to be given in the hands of our Taliban, they would probably be the same, if not even much worse than the Taliban who have seized Afghanistan with their bloody claws.

Translation: N. Cvetkovska