Clerics in Kabul mosques are urging worshippers to join the TalibanÂ’s fight against the Afghan government and international troops.Insurgency has spread recently, with many provinces falling under control of Islamists intent on driving out foreign forces. Encouraged by this growing militancy, some imams here believe the time is right to call for holy war.
"The only thing (people) can do is fight against the government and I am telling them they can do that. They can pick up a gun and fight against the government," said Abdullah, a 52-year-old imam wary of giving his full name for fear of reprisals.
Support for the militant Islamist Taliban traditionally comes from the conservative, Pashtun-dominated south and east. Attacks against security forces are common in provinces near the Pakistan border but had been rare elsewhere.
That changed last year, when more than 1,500 civilians were killed. In recent months, violence has spread swiftly, moving north to districts just outside Kabul.
A car bomber struck a truck near a U.S. military base yesterday, killing at least two people here.
Those additional deaths, including 20 Taliban, 12 Afghan troops and a coalition soldier, killed Saturday and identified by the Los Angeles Times as an American, brought the toll to more than 190 people since Wednesday, when a storm of violence broke out in the south.
The car accident apparently prevented the bomber from reaching his target, either a store frequented by foreigners on KabulÂ’s outskirts, or the U.S. or NATO forces with bases on the same road, said interior ministry spokesperson Yousuf Stanizai.
The Taliban now control many rural areas south of the capital and their increasing success is finding favour with fundamentalists here.
"ItÂ’s a reality, the fighters are getting stronger and stronger because the government is alienating the community and the people," Abdullah said.
"Real mullahs, imams and anyone with a knowledge of Islam has to say itÂ’s time for jihad. Those people who are fighting against the Americans and the government are doing good, but the government and the Americans say they are terrorists just because they want to give them a bad name."
Christian Willach, operations co-ordinator for ANSO, the Afghanistan NGO Safety Office, said attacks in the capital region have only targeted government or NATO troops and insurgents have not yet threatened aid groups in Kabul. "(But) If people are instigating other people to pick up arms for whatever reason ... thatÂ’s always a bad sign.
"Kabul is relatively safe" for workers with the 600 to 800 aid groups working here, Willach said, but non-government organizations have stopped operations in many other districts because security is deteriorating, which fuels insurgent claims that aid groups are not in place to help Afghans.
"ItÂ’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. It makes an easy recruiting ground for militia commanders, Taliban, Al Qaeda - whatever. If people are frustrated, itÂ’s easy for them to be recruited."
AbdullahÂ’s long beard reached the top of his shalwar kameez as he sat cross-legged on the floor of his mosque. Every Friday he preaches for 500 to 600 and says he has seen their anger grow to boiling point.
"The people donÂ’t co-operate with the government because money came to Afghanistan and it just went into the pockets of the NGOs and people in high positions. The poor people got nothing. (Officials) spend the money on alcohol, big houses, security guards and big cars with dark windows. That is why the people are very angry with the government."
Also his worshippers want Islamic law, sharia, restored.
"Afghanistan is an Islamic country and it should be following the law of sharia," Abdullah said. "In previous regimes, there were no shops where they clearly sold alcohol. There were no houses or hotels where they had prostitutes. Now we do have those things."
At another mosque, built with money donated by a Kuwaiti businessman, Mustafa said the "time is ready for jihad." He accused foreign troops of insulting Afghan culture when they raided homes looking for militants.
"I canÂ’t tell them directly to start jihad because then I will get into trouble," said Mustafa, 37. "But I will tell them to go away and do what they want, because it is forbidden in Islam for soldiers to search our houses."
Mustafa preaches to about 8,000 Muslims every Friday. His mosqueÂ’s exterior is decorated with posters of Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, an extremist MP and ex-warlord whose forces devastated Kabul in the 1990s civil war.
Imam Mohammed Sadiq happily gave his surname. As the gap between rich and poor grows, he said a call to jihad "is getting nearer and nearer."
At his mosque, the 35-year-old said "drinking alcohol is `haremÂ’ (forbidden), prostitution is `haremÂ’ and for men to have sex with boys is `haremÂ’ ... and it is all going on in Kabul. If these conditions continue, everyone will say itÂ’s time for jihad.
"So far I have one lot of evidence - that is, that the Americans and the foreigners are entering houses and searching women with their hands."