Translation note: The Farsi word “roshan’fikr” translates into English as “intellectual.” However, the concept in Farsi means far more than the English word conveys. The concept of “roshan’fikr” has a strong positive connotation; it means a critical thinker, an iconoclast, and someone committed to justice, social progress, and enlightenment.
On the fourth of July this year in the Shia Muharram ceremony, the Taliban director of vice and virtue in the Jaghori district of Ghazni, in central Afghanistan spoke about the “importance” of hijab and of women staying at home. He called those who support the presence of women in society and outside their homes as being politically ignorant and said, “They consider themselves roshan’fikr (intellectual) and we call them politically ignorant.”
In a video recorded and published by a YouTuber, the Taliban official’s name is written as Mawlawi Akhundzada. Akhundzada sarcastically mentioned the word “intellectual” several times and labelled intellectuals as politically ignorant. In nearly five decades of conflict and war in Afghanistan, the word “intellectual” has been one of the most widely used terms. Political groups have expressed their views on society and politics by taking a stance on intellectuals. Some have defended intellectuals, and others have railed against them. This strife still exists and begs the question: Who is an intellectual and why do the Taliban hate them? Is a schooled person who wears a tie and holds a government position an intellectual? Is a poet who writes poems only about their personal emotions an intellectual? How about a mullah who advocates for education and freedom?
In one of the mosques of Baba, the area where Mawlawi Akhundzada raved against the intellectuals and told women to stay at home, Sheikh Abdul Hossain Sarwari was once a community mullah. He also wears a turban like Akhundzada, has studied in a madrasa, and is a mullah. In the years of working as a mullah, Shaikh Sarwar studied history, literature, and basic medıcal and healthcare in addition to religious studies, and he practıced as a local doctor for several decades. Sheikh Sarwari has been a mullah for a long time and also has worked as a teacher at girls’ school for many years. He is a staunch supporter of women’s education and their presence in society. A week after Mawlawi Akhundza’s speech, I saw a video in which Sheikh Sarwari had participated in the inauguration of construction of a new school in Khak-Afghan district of Zabul province. Mawlawi Akhundzada speaks against women and freedom, and Sheikh Abdul Hossain Sarwari encourages girls to study. Two mullahs propagating two different social visions.
Sheikh Sarwari champions change as he knows that if people don’t advance, study, and work, they won’t be saved from impoverishment. One of the characteristics of an intellectual is to advocate positive social and political change. A mullah who understands this necessity and tries to support change is an intellectual. Unfortunately, the madrasa system does not train people who understand the needs of their times. Therefore, most intellectuals arise in the cities and are among those educated in the modern educational system.
In Afghanistan, where the conflict between old and new, tradition and modernity, and the madrasa and modern education system is still raging, most mullahs educated in the madrasa system are against change and most who are schooled in the modern education system support change. For this reason, it is sometimes assumed that those schooled in the modern education system are intellectuals or at least they are expected to be intellectuals. But it is not so. Graduates of modern education bifurcate into supporters of change and its enemies. Some are in the camp of Mawlawi Akhundzada and some are in the camp of Sheikh Sarwari. Today, some university graduates have become mouthpieces of the Taliban regime. We have seen many writers, poets, and graduates of the modern education system who have engaged in promoting hatred, stood with tyrants and corrupt strongmen, sung their praises, and written articles and poems for them for material gain. They are educated and have technical knowledge but they are not intellectuals.
During the 20 years of the republic era, some people with a background of fıghtıng against tyranny and for social change joined the people in power. Their new social positions made them forget their past. Therefore, in their new positions, they acted like liquid taking the shape of a container – they started parroting the official language and defending the social and political interests of their bosses. The experience of these people shows that when intellectuals come to power or take a position in the government, they often become bureaucrats and agents and cannot function as spokespeople for social change. More importantly, in a situation when people in power are mired in corruption, the intellectual’s joining them damages their relationship with the people.
Some who once shined in the ranks of supporters of change separated from this rank and became secluded after a while. Although they did not join the people’s oppressors, they did not raise their voice against them either. After silence and seclusion, they no longer can be called intellectuals although they may know a lot of theory and provide wise analysis in private settings. A commitment to spreading awareness and not giving in to silence is part of the characteristic of an intellectual.
Of course, intellectuals in authoritarian societies are sometimes forced to temporarily hide and remain silent. Committed intellectuals see silence as a tactic and temporary. They do not turn to mysticism or promote despair but continue to research and explore, taking advantage of small opportunities to challenge the autocrats and oppressors. Committed intellectuals shine more when darkness rules because they consider it their duty to spread awareness. They are aware of the transience of tyranny and darkness.
To stay in the ranks of intellectuals, it is not enough to speak, write, or criticize. The duty of intellectuals is to spread awareness, research, and promote dialogues. Intellectuals put their life up for the cause. Therefore, their words are for action such as when Sheikh Abdul Hossain Sarwari, without any personal expectations, travels a distance to inaugurate a school construction project and uses his influence to advocate for both boys’ and girls’ education. He is an intellectual by siding with the people in opposition to the anti-education policies of the Taliban.
To sum up, an intellectual is a knowledgeable person who understands the importance of collective interests, is aware of the needs of their society, and uses this knowledge and awareness as a tool to fight for positive change and reduction of collective misery. An intellectual is far-sighted and insightful. They do not give in to silence, and if tyranny rules, they do not lose hope and search for opportunities to spread awareness. An intellectual is a person of action, and their most important function is learning, dialogue, and propagation of knowledge and awareness.
Younus Negah is a researcher and writer from Afghanistan who is currently in exile in Turkey.
