Afghan president says need to find way to say 'sorry' to Taliban

Published March 26, 2015
“People were falsely imprisoned, people were tortured. They were tortured in private homes or private prisons,” he said. “How do you tell these people that you are sorry?” — AP/File
“People were falsely imprisoned, people were tortured. They were tortured in private homes or private prisons,” he said. “How do you tell these people that you are sorry?” — AP/File

WASHINGTON: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Wednesday that some members of the Taliban had legitimate grievances given the torture and ill treatment they had suffered and it was necessary to find a way to apologise and heal national wounds.

Speaking during a visit to Washington, Ghani said South Africa and Rwanda, which set up truth and reconciliation commissions to come clean about past abuses but not necessarily to punish them, had been most effective in “devising collective forms of therapy” for traumatised nations.

Officials in Pakistan and Afghanistan said last month that the Afghan Taliban had signaled they were willing to open peace talks with Kabul.

Ghani said peace with the insurgents was “essential” and that some Taliban members had legitimate grievances.

“People were falsely imprisoned, people were tortured. They were tortured in private homes or private prisons,” he said. “How do you tell these people that you are sorry?”

Speaking at the US Institute of Peace think tank, Ghani praised a report by a US Senate committee chaired by Senator Dianne Feinstein that said the CIA acted more brutally and pervasively than it acknowledged in its torture of detainees after the Sept. 11 attacks, including in Afghanistan.

Ghani pointed to local Afghan systems of justice based around the tribal jirga, or council, and contrasted these with “Western justice” which responded to killing with killing.

“Part of the jirga is what is called putting a stone on conflict; you bring about amnesia, for 20 years, 30 years or others, so society can function,” he said.

“Peace means forgiving blood,” Ghani said, adding that Europe after World War II was an example of “historical amnesia.” Ghani said he would not tolerate abuse of innocent people and vowed that he would “fire anybody” who engaged in this, but he said the past was “a much more complex tapestry.”

“We cannot sacrifice the future for the sake of the past. we must bring about a balance. If we go just looking at the past, we will be destroying the future,” he added.

Ghani, who became president last year, has been feted in a five-day US trip seeking to repair ties frayed under his predecessor, Hamid Karzai. In a speech to Congress on Wednesday he called national reconciliation a “pillar” of his government. He said Taliban members could find their way back into Afghan society, if they agreed to respect the constitution.

Opinion

Editorial

Gaza’s darkest hour
Updated 07 Dec, 2023

Gaza’s darkest hour

Will the Arabs and Muslims continue to issue strong statements condemning Israel as Palestinian children writhe in unspeakable pain?
Women’s cricket win
07 Dec, 2023

Women’s cricket win

THE return of Fatima Sana gave the Pakistan women’s cricket team the zip they needed. The fast bowler had missed...
Embracing arts
07 Dec, 2023

Embracing arts

THE Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, also showcasing Pakistani films, marks a significant moment in the cultural...
Abject failure
Updated 06 Dec, 2023

Abject failure

Nepra must also order an internal inquiry to determine why its own officials dragged their feet and failed to take appropriate action against overbilling.
Hidden scars
06 Dec, 2023

Hidden scars

IN Pakistan, the spectre of gender-based violence casts a long, oppressive shadow over women and girls. Rooted in...
Organ trafficking
06 Dec, 2023

Organ trafficking

DESPITE legal safeguards being in place to crack down on the illicit organ transplantation racket, it is clear that...