News & Comment
Afghan Civilians killed in NATO Air Strike in Kunduz:
“What did those children do wrong?”

News

Al Jazeera reported on 5th of October 2016 that a NATO air strike conducted an operation against the Taliban insurgents in the northern province of Kunduz/Afghanistan.

The air strike killed at least 30 civilians, including women, children and babies while 25 others were wounded. This operation sparked angry protests among locals, with relatives rallying with the coffins of the victims to the governor’s office. A journalist reported of the chanting “Death to America”, “Death to President Ashraf Ghani” and they were vowing to take revenge. Other statements were “What did those children do wrong? I want justice for the killers.”

The report says that although the US combat operations against Taliban largely ended in 2014, Special Forces have been engaged in fighting while providing assistance to Afghan troops. The US military said that such air strikes are a “mistake” and apologized. (AlJazeera)

Comment

In today’s insane world the aggressive invasion of Afghanistan by NATO is claimed to be just a war of defence. The widespread opinion is that NATO promotes democratic values and encourages consultation and cooperation on defence and security issues to build trust, in the long run, and prevent conflict. Apparently NATO is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. If diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military capacity needed to undertake crises-management operations. These are carried out under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty – NATO’s founding treaty – or under a United Nation (UN) mandate, alone or in cooperation with other countries and international organizations.

However, we take an overview on some examples of the NATO operations in the last years against women and children in Afghanistan. On October 2001, NATO destroyed the village of Karam and killed about 100 people by 25 bombs in their houses, in the village of Kama Ado. On July 2002, they killed 48 civilians, many were women and children in a village in Oruzgan province. On February 2003, they killed at least 17 civilians, mostly women and children, in coalition bombing raids in Helmand province. On January 2004, 4 children and 7 adults were killed by a U.S. air strike on a house in the village of Saghatho. On October 2006, they killed at least nine civilians including women and children. On March 2007, they killed 5 women and 2-3 children when their home was destroyed by two 2,000 lb (910 kg) bombs in the Kapisa province. On May 2007 between 21 and 38 civilians, including women and children were killed by a US Air Raid in the village in Helmand Province. Five homes were bombed after US Special Forces came under attack, an attack which cost the life of one US serviceman. On November 2008, dozens of people, including over 30 women and children, were killed by US air strikes in the village in Kandahar province. On May 2009, American B-1B bombers killed at least 147 civilians. A report showed that 93 of those killed were children. On July 2010, the Sangin airstrike killed a large number of Afghan civilians many of whom were women and children, in the village in Nangarhar province. On February 2011, 65 civilians, including 50 women and many children were killed in a NATO operation in Kunar province. On September 2012, they killed eight women and injured a further seven women, in an airstrike in Laghman. On April 2013, they killed 10 children and two women in eastern Afghanistan. Last October, a US airstrike hit a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital in Kunduz, killing at least 42 people, including women and children.

These are just a few examples of the cruel NATO operations against the Afghan women and children. The Afghan Government looks through the glasses of the colonialists and therefore they have forgotten how to distinguish between right and wrong. In a country which has run into a 15 years’ war, it has become a habit that innocent people die. These deaths are labelled as mere mistakes by organisations who claim that they want to liberate the Muslims from oppression. But when it comes to the attacks in Paris or Brussels then it is a crime to humanity.

The United States claims it wants to fight against the terrorists who kill innocent people. Are these Afghan women and children not innocent and are these casualties legitimate? After such incidents the Islamic Ummah must wake up. They should recognize that the colonialists and their supporter are not the protectors of the Muslims. The victims of the Kunduz operation are the sisters, children and babies of the Ummah who are being abused and destroyed by the enemy of Islam. If the Ummah does not take care of them, the colonialists will exterminate them. The community of Muslims is linked by the Quran and the Sunnah where it stresses that the Ummah is responsible for the honor, dignity and life of their sisters and children. They should not sleep peacefully as long as these crimes occur. They must work for the re-establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" State (Caliphate) upon the method of prophethood, which will be protect the Muslim women and children from the enemy of Islam.

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,

«مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ مَثَلُ الْجَسَدِ إِذَا اشْتَكَى مِنْهُ عُضْوٌ تَدَاعَى لَهُ سَائِرُ الْجَسَدِ بِالسَّهَرِ وَالْحُمَّى»

“The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.”

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Amanah Abed