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Articles
Taliban
and Afghanistan Primer
by George Fleming
9/28/2001
In recent
days much has been heard about the Taliban and Afghanistan.
Most Americans know little of either. After some research
I found information that will provide a basic understanding
of the Taliban and background on Afghanistan.
The
Taliban
In
1996, the ruling government of Afghanistan was displaced by
the Taliban movement -- an Islamic fundamentalist group which
claims control over about 90 percent of the country.
- The
Taliban: name in Arabic means "seekers of truth."
- Men
are required to have beards of a certain length or longer,
not to trim their beards, and to wear head coverings. Men
whose beards do not conform to the guidelines on beard length
set out by the Taliban were subject to imprisonment for
10 days and mandatory Islamic instruction.
- Taliban
forces threaten and beat women for what they consider "immodest
dress." They threaten and beat men for "immodest
dress" and for incorrect beard length.
- The
Taliban radio station, the Voice of Shariat, broadcasts
religious programming and Taliban pronouncements.
- Members
of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Suppression
of Vice regularly check passersby to see that men's beards
and apparel meet Taliban requirements, to ensure that women
are dressed in strict traditional Taliban-approved garb,
and to ascertain that women are not in the company of men
who are unrelated to them.
- According
to regulations, a man who has shaved or cut his beard may
be imprisoned. Beards must protrude farther than would a
fist clamped at the base of the chin.
- Women
accused of adultery offenses also are subjected to violence.
Adultery is punishable by death through stoning.
- The
Taliban set punishments such as public executions for murder,
and amputations of one hand and one foot for theft.
- In
1998 the Taliban prohibited satellite dishes.
- The
Taliban have banned certain recreational activities, such
as kite flying and playing chess.
- Dolls
and stuffed animals are prohibited due to the Taliban's
interpretation of religious injunctions against representations
of living beings.
- The
Taliban has also banned television, dance, film, photography,
and non-religious music, computer discs, ties, lipstick,
nail polish, catalogues showing pictures of people, movies,
and pig fat.
- Prayer
is mandatory for all, and those who are observed not praying
at appointed times or who are late attending prayer are
subject to beatings.
- The
Taliban enforces "Gender Apartheid: The Elimination
of Women's Rights" which established the following:
1. Banished women from the work force
2. Closed schools to girls in cities and expelled women
from universities
3. Prohibited women from leaving their homes unless accompanied
by a close male relative
4. Ordered the publicly visible windows of women's houses
painted black and forced women to wear the burqa (or chadari)
- which completely shrouds the body, leaving only a small
mesh-covered opening through which to see
5. Prohibited women and girls from being examined by male
physicians while at the same time, prohibited most female
doctors and nurses from working. (Currently there are a
few, selected female doctors allowed to operate in segregated
wards.)
- Women
are also forbidden to enter mosques or other places of worship
unless the mosque has separate sections for men and women.
- The
Taliban has decreed that all non-Muslims in Afghanistan
must wear identification tags.
- Recently
the Taliban destroyed two 2,000-year-old statues of Buddha.
Summary
As you
can see the Taliban has almost nothing in common with typical
Western society. They oppose almost all entertainment, deny
women basic rights and impose their rigid views on all. The
Taliban controls Afghanistan by violence, threats and terror.
At this time, Pakistan is the only country to maintain diplomatic
relations with the Taliban.
Afghanistan
- Afghanistan's
population: 26,813,057 (July 2001 est.)
- Afghanistan
is slightly larger than the state of Texas
- Afghanistan
is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly dependent
on farming and livestock raising (sheep and goats).
- Afghanistan's
agricultural products include opium poppies, wheat,
fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, and karakul sheep pelts.
- Afghanistan
was by far the largest producer of opium poppies in 2000,
and narcotics trafficking is a major source of revenue.
- Per
capita income in Afghanistan, based on World Bank figures,
is about $280 per year.
- Life
expectancy at birth: 46.24 years
- Literacy
rate: male: 47.2% female:
15% (1999 est.)
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