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Coalition provides response to Afghan mullahs' demands

By Staff Sgt. Bradley Rhen
December 7, 2004

KHOST, Afghanistan (Army News Service, Dec. 7, 2004) - Coalition representatives provided responses to a list of 15 "Responsibilities of government and foreign relatives" during a mullah conference Dec. 6 at Khost University.

The list was signed by several mullahs from Khost Province and was presented to Coalition representatives at a similar conference in Khost last month.

"Task Force Thunder took their concerns very seriously," said Maj. Carl Hollister, commander of the Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team. "They addressed them in a very timely fashion, and we used this venue as the opportunity to answer them in a public setting."

Among other things, the list called for the Coalition to respect Afghans' national, cultural and religious values and customs; end night raids on homes; and carefully scrutinize information from informants to ensure it was not given as a means of retaliation to settle a grudge.

"The Coalition takes your points very seriously, and we have taken the time to answer them," Hollister told the mullahs.

Copies of the Coalition's responses were handed out to the mullahs at the conference for distribution among their communities.

More than 70 mullahs from around Khost Province attended the conference. Hollister said the purpose of this meeting and other like it are to update local community about Coalition's efforts working with the government of Afghanistan.

Also at the meeting, Hollister told the mullahs that he knows they know about anti-Coalition activity, and it's time that they put an end to what they can control. He urged the mullahs to get militants to start focusing on reconciliation.

"[The mullahs] need to be telling their brothers to put down their arms and to come and get integrated into Afghan society," Hollister said.

Also discussed were the success of the first presidential election, and how that's going to lead into the parliamentary elections in the spring.

Mullahs are chosen to attend conferences like this because they are key communicators in their communities, Hollister said.

"They have more influence than the police, they have more influence than the provincial ministers, and they have more influence than the governor does with the individual villagers," Hollister said.

In addition to establishing a dialog with the religious leaders, these types of meeting have also made locals less apprehensive about talking to someone in a uniform.

"It's difficult when you're rolling down the road in a Humvee with a .50 cal and you come out with your hardhat looking like a 'stormtrooper,' and then you tell these people you're here to help," Hollister said.

At the meeting, Hollister delivered the keys to a car the Coalition donated to one of the province's ministries.

"Today's small gift of a vehicle is just recognizing the importance of that particular ministry," Hollister said. "What we from the West have to understand is that there is no separation of church and state in Afghanistan, so we need to be supporting the mosques, the madrasses and the ministers themselves."

There is another mullah conference in Khost scheduled for Jan. 6.

(Editor's note: Staff Sgt. Bradley Rhen serves with CTF Thunder Public Affairs.)