Reactions from across Mideast to Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan

Regional countries, entities and personalities have been reacting to the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan following the United States’ abrupt military withdrawal, which put an end to a futile two-decade-long war in the South Asian country.

Oman’s grand mufti 

In a statement issued on Monday, the grand mufti of Oman “congratulated” the Afghan people over Taliban’s takeover.

“We congratulate the brotherly Muslim people of Afghanistan for the clear victory and the grand conquering of the aggressor invaders, and we also congratulate ourselves and the entire Islamic nation for the fulfillment of God’s sincere promise,” Ahmad bin Hamad al-Khalili, wrote on his Twitter account.

IUMS chief

Ahmad al-Raysuni, the head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), congratulated the Taliban for “the expulsion of the American and European invading forces. And this is a purely Afghan achievement that came thanks to continuous jihad, patience and sacrifices.”

He also voiced the IUMS’ readiness “to receive the scholars of Afghanistan … and negotiate with them on issues of Islam and the application of Islamic Sharia.”

Hamas congratulates Afghans on defeating US, hails Taliban’s anti-occupation fight

The Palestinian Hamas resistance group praises the “victory” of the Taliban against the two-decade-long American occupation, congratulating the Afghan people for defeating the United States.

Kuwait

Additionally, Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it was “gravely concerned” over the developments in Afghanistan, urging all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint in order to save lives and ensure the smooth exit of foreign diplomats.

Preserving the security and stability of Afghanistan, in addition to protecting the rights of its people, require a collective effort on the part of all those involved, it added.

Jordan

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Amman on Tuesday, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said his country hopes to see a unity government in Afghanistan.

“We hope to see a unity government in Afghanistan with the Afghan rivals agreeing on a mechanism that secures the peace and stability of the country,” he said.

Turkey

Cavusoglu, for his part, said that Turkey is in dialogue with all sides in Afghanistan, including the Taliban and that it will continue to support Afghanistan’s economic development, stability, and peace.

“We welcome the messages given by the Taliban so far” to foreigners and diplomatic missions as well as the Afghan people, he said. “I hope we see this in action as well.”

Taliban promise peaceful transition as world reacts to chaos in Afghanistan

The Taliban group is seeking to assure the Afghans of their safety and the international community of a peaceful transition.

The group has reassured that foreign diplomatic missions will be safe.

“Important figures like (top peace negotiator) Abdullah Abdullah and (former president) Hamid Karzai, who had previously been part of negotiations, are still in Kabul and are preparing for talks with the Taliban,” the top Turkish diplomat added.

He also praised Qatar for its role in the Afghan peace talks, emphasizing that Afghanistan needed “calm.”

Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Foreign Ministry called on the Taliban to preserve lives and security as stipulated by the holy faith of Islam, expressing hope that the situation in Afghanistan would stabilize as soon as possible.

“The kingdom stands with the choices that the Afghan people make without interference,” it said in a statement.

“Based on the noble principles of Islam..., the kingdom of Saudi Arabia hopes that the Taliban movement and all Afghan parties will work to preserve security, stability, lives and property,” the statement added.

UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) confirmed that it is closely following the developments in brotherly Afghanistan, stressing the need to urgently achieve stability and security there.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expressed hope that Afghan parties will exert all their efforts to establish security and achieve stability and development in Afghanistan in a manner that fulfills the hopes and aspirations of its nation.

Separately, Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic advisor to the UAE president, said that the statements of the Taliban are “encouraging.”

“Nations are not built with revenge, but through amnesty, dialogue and tolerance,” he tweeted. “We hope that the Afghans will turn the pages of suffering in favor of peace and prosperity.”

Yemen

In a note published by 26sep website, Yemen’s Prime Minister Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour highlighted the humiliating failure of the West, led by the United States, in Afghanistan and the lessons that should be learned from it.

As the history shows, foreign invaders will face defeat, he said. “Despite having the most advanced military equipment in the world, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) lost thousands of its troops...After its defeat, NATO is leaving today a poor and fragmented country deprived of the means of modern life. This is what awaits the invaders throughout history, but the freedom that the people of Afghanistan have gained is more valuable than anything else."

He also warned of the consequences of monopolizing power, advising the Taliban to take lessons from what happened 20 years ago and before that.

“The most important lessons are for those who cooperated and befriended the occupiers. They are not welcome in a free land, and must live on as fugitives for betraying their motherland, their religion and history,” he said.

The US military led the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 in what it proclaimed was a war on terror meant to eradicate the Taliban.

Twenty years on, a hasty withdrawal resulted in the Taliban takeover of the country.

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