Jihad and the political in Afghanistan(1978-1988)

This study attempts to provide a new interpretation of the phenomenon of jihad in contemporary Afghanistan. With the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Afghan people waged jihad against the Soviet Union and its dictatorial regime in Afghanistan. Jihad is a category that has a long history in Afghanistan. The process of producing the myth of jihad began in the 1970s. The process of producing the myth of jihad took place in the social conscious of Afghan society and through icons. Icons are symbols that evoke the whole work on the myth behind it. In this regard, we can name three icons for the myth of jihad: the icon of colonialism, the icon of mercenary and handcuffed government and the icon of the oppressed. The myth of jihad led to the construction of the political cause by transforming religious groups into political entities and creating antagonism and otherness. The political myth of jihad mobilized religious groups and turned them into political groups. The other, created by the myth of jihad, was seen as an enemy to be fought. Eventually this process led to the fall of the communist government in Afghanistan.