Hi MSG Proctor,

Quote Originally Posted by MSG Proctor View Post
Marc, perhaps you joined the discussion a bit late, but my suggestion was not to implement Islam as a symbol of national unity per se; but to utilize the only existing unifying vehicle. If the monarchy is a better vehicle, so be it, but I doubt that it has the transnational appeal that a virulent form of nationalism with the impramatur of the Islamic scholars would at this time.
The problem, as I see it, is that there is no "nationalism" per se in Afghanistan, at least in the sense that it exists in the US. What there was, centered on the monarchy and various tribal coalitions. I truly doubt that any real (as opposed to Potemkin Village) form of "virulent nationalism" will exist for at least another 20-30 years, regardless of support from Islamic scholars.

Quote Originally Posted by MSG Proctor View Post
My position is that Afghanistan lacks a national identity that most Afghans see as a cause worth sacrificing for - which may be mission essential in a COIN fight where ANA troops have to deploy, fight and die in other regions of the country. Islam at least holds the potential for operationalizing fatwas into a cogent nationalist theme. maybe.
I truly doubt that . By its very nature, Islam is trans-national and, with some limited exceptions, there has been a fairly strong differentiation between the "community" and the "state". About the only option that would create something like a virulent radical nationalism would be a theocracy along the lines of Iran; but Iran is primarily Shi'a, with a very different view of community and state from that of the Sunni schools or a return of a Taliban-esque Revitalization Movement.

I'm not saying that it's impossible, just that I think it is very unlikely.