Who Are the Taliban?
Afghan Conversation #19
This is the 19th in a series of letters and conversations with a young Afghan friend of mine about life under Taliban rule. We are protecting his identity for his safety.
In my life under the previous government, prior to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, I probably saw members of the Taliban three or four times. I read about them in journals, and heard people talking about them, but they were not everywhere as they are now. I’d like to explain what I’ve learned about them over the last three months, now living under their rule.
Let’s start with some history. Back in about 1993 or 1994, during the Afghan civil war, we first heard whispers of a group of radical religious students in Saudi-sponsored schools in Pakistan. The group called itself the Islamic Tehreek-e-Taliban (Taliban Islamic Movement). Before long, this extremist movement had infiltrated Afghanistan from the southern border, spreading the slogan "Implementing Islamic Sharia," fighting what it called evil and corruption in Afghanistan, and waging war with Afghan citizens.
Over the years, despite the U.S. invasion in 2001 and ensuing 20-year military intervention, Taliban forces continued to gather strength. By 2021, having summarily invaded cities and provinces throughout the country, they finally overthrew the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and took control of the government. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is now in power.
Also, some terminology is in order. A “Talib” is defined as a religious student. The Taliban (a plural or collective form of the word) consider themselves clergy. From their point of view, their words are the words of truths because they represent God and speak the words of God.
Facts and figures
No precise figure is available, but estimates put the number of Taliban to between a hundred and two hundred thousand. The vast majority of them, probably 99 percent, are from the Pashtun ethnic group. Non-Taliban citizens are considered slaves who must always be obedient.
The Taliban have taken over all high-ranking positions in the government, including the ministry and the directorate. Only the lowest-ranking officers are former officers. Many top Taliban officials are former peasants or peddlers who have risen the ranks based on their religious zealotry. On the reverse end, many former officials are now relegated to construction work.
Government positions are also inheritable. That is, if a Talib becomes the head of an organization, he can hand it over to his son or brother.
Perilous times
The Taliban are not a people of discourse and logic. If a Talib says that the color of milk is black and you don't agree, he will insult and threaten you. After all, he believes he is God’s representative on Earth. Who dares not accept the word of God in such a land as Afghanistan?
A few days ago, I learned, a person named Navid from Helmand province wrote on his Facebook page “The Taliban don’t pay teachers. They are beggars who collect money themselves from our homes.” Because of his post, he was captured and brutally killed by the Taliban. His body was dumped in the lake..
The people of Afghanistan are starving because of the draconian rule of the Taliban. The United Nations has said that the Taliban have to create an inclusive government, that girls must go to school and women should be allowed to work, but no such actions have taken place. There is not even one Hazara in their cabinet; girls are still banned from going to school; women are not allowed to work. Every day the Taliban are killing the soldiers of the previous government. According to Human Rights Watch, more than a hundred former government soldiers have been killed during the first three months of the Taliban government. Many other innocent citizens are also being killed.
This is who the Taliban are. An irrational, fearsome force for evil.
SUNDAY’S HEADLINES:
Inside a Sequencing Lab on the Front Lines of America’s Search for Omicron(NYT)
Scientists race to gauge omicron variant’s true threat — Is it more transmissible? Does it make people sicker? How well do vaccines fare against it? Scientists hope to have answers to some of their questions within weeks. (WP)
WHO says no deaths reported from Omicron yet as Covid variant spreads (Guardian)
Omicron complicates puzzle over at-home Covid pill (Politico)
US vaccinations rise as Omicron cases spread (NHK)
The Mississippi Abortion Case and the Fragile Legitimacy of the Supreme Court (New Yorker)
Facing Economic Collapse, Afghanistan Is Gripped by Starvation (NYT)
Afghanistan: Macron reveals plans for joint European mission (BBC)
Islamic countries to meet on Afghanistan crisis on Dec. 19 (Reuters)
Arab Gulf States Compete for Influence in Taliban-Ruled Afghanistan (WSJ)
In Afghanistan, ‘Who Has the Guns Gets the Land’ — A decades-long fight over land has been reinvigorated as Taliban leaders look to reward their fighters with property, even if that means evicting others. (NYT)
Iran nuclear talks to enter critical phase (NHK)
US warns Russia could invade Ukraine in early 2022 (Financial Times)
MH370: Could missing Malaysian Airlines plane finally be found? (BBC)
A Billion Sea Creatures Cooked to Death — This summer’s historic heat wave in the Pacific Northwest was an ecological catastrophe. (Atlantic)
Grab your camera and help science! King tides are crashing onto California beaches — The unusually high and low tides will be affecting coastal communities over the weekend. Scientists are calling on residents and visitors to help document the phenomenon. (NPR)
Bitcoin falls by a fifth, cryptos see $1 billion worth liquidated (Reuters)
How DNA Solved One of the Final Mysteries of Pearl Harbor — Nearly half the crew of the USS Oklahoma was buried in unknown graves — until the military found a pioneering way to decipher a forensic puzzle. (Politico)
TV news crews are rethinking how to do their jobs safely as violent robberies persist (SFC)
English Teenager Finds Bronze Age Ax Using a Metal Detector — On her third day out with a metal detector, Milly Hardwick, 13, found a hoard of items from more than 3,000 years ago. (NYT)
Clearview AI on track to win U.S. patent for facial recognition technology(Politico)
Trump rails against Meadows for revealing Covid test cover-up – report (Guardian)
Brazil's Rio cancels New Year celebration as pandemic continues (Reuters)
Biden and businesses agree on one thing: U.S. needs immigrant workers(Politico)
Museums for tragedies like 9/11 face a new challenge: Visitors too young to remember (WP)
Billions for Climate Protection Fuel New Debate: Who Deserves It Most — The $1 trillion infrastructure law funds programs that tend to favor wealthy, white communities — a test for Biden’s pledge to defend the most vulnerable against climate change. (NYT)
Elite Preschool Boasts 95% Of Graduates Go On To Kindergarten (The Onion)
In football, Michigan is the Big Ten Champion after beating Iowa 42-3 on Saturday night! (DW)
SUNDAY’s LYRICS
“Can’t Find My Way Back Home”
Blind Faith
By Steve Winwood
Come down off your throne and leave your body alone
Somebody must change
You are the reason I've been waiting all these years
Somebody holds the key
Well, I'm near the end and I just ain't got the time
And I'm wasted and I can't find my way home
I can't find my way home
But I can't find my way home
But I can't find my way home
But I can't find my way home
Still I can't find my way home
And I've done nothing wrong
But I can't find my way home
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