The Berlin based corruption fighting organization; Transparency International’s latest survey set Afghan government on the most corrupt ones in the world along with Somalia and North Korea. Each of the above country scored 8 in the corruption Perception Index which scores from 0, perceived to be highly corrupt, to 100, the cleanest rating. Scoring 91, both Denmark and New Zealand rated as cleanest.
Certainly, corruption has changed into a detrimental dilemma that has created a gap between people and government. It has become so common that there are no one to be accountable. Officials who had nothing few years ago now brag in Kabul streets with numbers of bullet proof, highly expansive vehicles, escorting them. The price of some of those luxurious vehicles are more than hundred thousand dollars. Each of them have tens of personal guards escorting traveling around and protecting 24 hours their houses and personal properties. Many of their family members have also their own bodyguards, drivers and servants. Interestingly, all such expenditures are paid by officials whose salaries, based on the salary range of government, is less than 2000 USD, which is less then daily expenditures of some of these respected gentlemen.
Moreover, walking around Kabul and other big cities, almost any luxurious building that attract your attention belongs to government officials or to their relatives. Meanwhile none of them confess that mere enjoying blood-relationship with someone in power opened the doors of opportunity and showered them with millions of dollars!
Unfortunately, the anti-corruption combat has a blunt failure. Last year, when the international community promised to continue financing the country on condition that government should hold serious steps to fight corruption, the Afghan government promised to do so. But the surveys made by credential sources, including the Transparency International, depict a very grim picture from the condition.
Believe it or not, talking to any civilian clearly shows that almost all complain about widespread corruption in the country. And those who avoid to complain or talk in favor of the government also compare it with earlier regimes. They argue that the current government is far better than previous ones. People have suffered largely under earlier regimes. The Emarat-e-Islami indeed was such barbaric and totalitarian government that still has remained as a nightmare. The fear and nightmarish assumption of return of Taliban has made people to close their eyes against evils of present rulers. They suffered under Taliban regime to an extent that curse of present government look like benevolence of the Taliban. You can hear often that do not complain about the current government because Allah may send far worse, arguing since decades ago we always criticized the regimes and hoped for better one. But time and again, we face the worse one. Hence, part of the people who have consent from the government is merely due to fear and intolerable experience they had from earlier regimes. Otherwise, if they become certain that Taliban will not return back, communal clashes wouldn’t spark and peace and security will be restored; certainly people will raise their voices far louder against government.
One of the weird things is the ineffective of religious policies in declining corruption. The regime of King Amanullah Khan was ousted in 1929---who was the first King to make serious efforts to introduce modernity to Afghan society and who succeed to get independence of the country from British Emperor--- merely on account of lack of commitment to religious rituals. Religious scholars announced Jihad against him because he announced the freedom of clothing style for women. Thereafter, tens of thousands of people were killed on account of not being committed to true teachings of Islam. During Taliban regime, Shiite sect was announced as infidels against whom Jihad was a religious duty. Afghan people are deeply considered as religious. They are known to be the persons that cannot tolerate anything which might hurt their religious feelings. Last year, Kabul and several big cities rocked in protest against claim that piece of holy Quran was burnt in the base of international security forces. The conservative section of the society has always stood against movies broadcasted by private TV channels, arguing that such dramas are ruining the morality and religiosity of people. But unfortunately, the religious fronts have remained silent against corruption.
Presently, all point fingers toward those who previously were leading Jihad against former Soviet Union. Since the military intervention of US-led military intervention, many of these respected leaders have boomed tremendously on US dollars. Is not it surprising seeing people who previously were talking about Halal and Haram from Islamic Shariah points of view, once have forgotten all those things when it came to their personal interest? While from Islamic point of view, bribery is taboo (Haram). The person who pays and the person who receives both of them will be punished severely on the Resurrection Day.
Everybody knows that corrupt officials are not someone who have liberal views and deem religion as personal relation with Allah Almighty. Regretfully, some of those who built skyrocketing apartments and luxurious buildings are those who enjoy deep influence among civilians due to their pretentious commitment to religious rituals.
Therefore, it can be claimed that religious sentiments of civilians have been misused. When it comes in terms of women rights and liberty, majority of people oppose them because they are deemed anti-Islam. But when it comes to corruption and lying, for example, we find the loudspeaker of religious fronts so silent and nothing is done to increase accountability and transparency. This is one of the kingpins of challenge of Afghan society that should be studied and analyzed thoroughly.