there is no goat by Jennifer Dunham

Author:Jennifer Dunham
Language: eng
Format: mobi, azw3
Published: 2013-05-22T21:00:00+00:00

THE TALIBAN

The Taliban, though an independent insurgent group, is quite similar to the al-Qaeda terrorist group, previously headed by Osama bin Laden. Their name is derived from the Arabic word for student, or “taleb”. A majority of Taliban members are of Pashtun-Afghan descent, but also control large parts of western Pakistan, specifically the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas. The Taliban’s anti-democratic version of law is called Sharia and is characterized by a very inaccurate interpretation of the Koran, as well as, male dominance and female oppression.

The Taliban formed during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the late 1980’s. The invasion left millions of parentless, child refugees, many of whom were schooled in the extreme, religious schools called Madrassas, located in Pakistan. The name Taliban seemed a natural fit based off the student population, who comprised the majority of the Taliban members. Initially, the group formed to restore peace and stability to Afghanistan, and enforce the Sharia law. Soon after the group’s inception, the infamous Mullah Omar rose up to become the leader of the Taliban. Reportedly, Omar directed and committed heinous acts against women and girls, and anyone who did not follow his command. Over time, the rest of the Taliban followed suit. In 1994, the Taliban gained power over a majority of Afghanistan, leading a sort of genocide campaign, over Shiite-Muslims along the way. Mullah Omar is still at large and on the FBI’s most wanted list and is thought to be in hiding in Pakistan.

During their rule over the Afghanistan, the Taliban were recognized as a legitimate government by only three other countries: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. I believe, as many others do, that the Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) funded and supported the Taliban during their regime. For those unfamiliar with the ISI, they claim to be a legitimate government intelligence-gathering organization, similar to the Central Intelligence Agency in the United States. However, the ISI often has very unique ways of “gathering intelligence”. And, their motives do not always line up with traditional goals sought by most intelligence agencies. In addition, there is much evidence that the ISI continues to provide logistics and money to The Taliban, to this day.

Following their rise to power in 1994, for the next seven years, the Taliban wreaked havoc across Afghanistan. They shut down schools, tortured men for not growing beards, raped women and shoved the country under a blanket of fear. Music, dancing and non-religious radio and television broadcasts were forbidden. Women were banished to the home, forbidden from leaving without the company of a male and head-to-toe burqas, a loose, black, robe-like article of clothing. The Taliban’s only adequately manned and armed foe was The Northern Alliance, led by Ahmad Shah Massoud. It was Massoud, and his followers, who were partially credited with driving the Soviets out of Afghanistan in 1989. From 1996 to 2001, under Massoud’s command, The Northern Alliance managed to defeat the Taliban in the northern areas of Afghanistan and keep them at bay.

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