The Taliban

1. The Taliban When human rights were sacrificed in favor of “religious law”…but at what cost?

2. A brief overview of Afghanistan • Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and made the country “Communist.” • 10 years later, a force called the Mujahideen (a group of men calling themselves Jihadists) drove out the Soviets and decided to create a government in which they would share power equally…

3. When everything goes awry • Soon, arguments among the Mujahideen began to grow and allegiances within the group to certain members began to take shape. • The group separated into single warlords who would start to fight for control of the country.

4. The Chaos Begins • The feudal style warlords rained down their rockets on Afghanistan, killing thousands and forcing millions of Afghans to flee their country into neighboring Pakistan and Iran. • This included the men who would become the future Taliban…

5. The rise of oppression • While in refugee camps, the Taliban set up schools, training men for their mission. • Once they had enough money, they returned to Afghanistan, killing any Mujahideen who opposed them. • They imposed a religious set of laws known as Sharia; the strictest interpretation ever seen.

6. What happened next • The Taliban forbid: • *Singing • *Dancing • *Flying Kites • *Women leaving their homes without a male escort and covering the burqa. • *The growth/sale of opium

7. Ethnic Cleansing • The Taliban believed one group in Afghanistan, the Hazras, were inferior to all other ethnic groups. • Hazras were forbidden to hold any position or job of status in Afghanistan and many were brutally tortured or murdered. • “Afghanistan is full of garbage and it’s my job to clean it out.”