The Taliban

By: Jacob Mims Module 5 Post Assessment July 9th 2013

What I know
I know that the Taliban is an Afghan terrorist group goaled toward spreading their political views through violence and hatred. I also know that they have alliances with other terrorist groups such as al Qaeda. Other than that, it is mostly bits of information provided occasionally by news stations.

What I want to know

 The Taliban is an Islamic extremist group. It gained power to soon overthrow Afghanistan's government in 1996. They took control of the people, disapproved rights of women, and contributed in malicious acts against the innocent until 2001 when the U.S. led an invasion to deprive the group of its control. The Taliban consists of a mixture of soldiers who fought during the Soviet invasion in the 1980s, and a group of men who were raised in Islamic backgrounds seeking assistance from government agencies.

When it all started

 The Taliban is a Islamic group that interprets the Islamic law very brutally and in their own way to spread their way of life. This is practiced as Wahhabism, an orthodox form of Sunni Islam that relates to other faiths in Saudi Arabia. Their beliefs include: requiring women to cover up completely in veils, following strict Islamic worship, sending men whose beards are too short to prison, and they even ban un-faithful acts such as watching television and other common activities. No toleration is held for followers of other faiths. They have asserted this rule in the past by destroying sacred Buddhist statues in their locations.

Cultural Background

Taliban Ties to 9/11 Attacks

Plane crashes into world trade center

The Taliban has a strong alliance with al Qaeda, the terrorist group known for the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. The Taliban was responsible for protecting and hiding Osama Bin Laden after the attacks. Al Qaeda was located in Afghanistan under the responsibility of the Afghan Taliban during September 11th 2001. The plane hijackers who caused the epidemic were all trained through al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan. These camps were also used to train members of the Taliban as well.

Leadership of Taliban
The Taliban does not have just one overpowering ruler. They have people join in from many backgrounds differing in reason to join. Social ranking among the group are somewhat relevant though. Mohammed Omar or "Commander of the Faithful was a military leader in the Taliban, and rose them to power in society. He was a former soldier; fighting the Soviets gave him the knowledge and skills to lead and instruct others. There are many other leaders for the Taliban. Most have specials qualifications and experience

Mohammed Omar

Crimes

T a l i b a n F l a g

The Taliban held massacres against Afghan civilians They rejected a supplies from the United Nations causing 160,000 Afghan civilians to starve. They assisted in the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon in the U.S. They burned large areas of farmland And Destroyed thousands of homes belonging to citizens during their six year ruling period
The Talibans rule lasted until 2006 when brought down by enemy countries. However, there are still militias and rebel groups claiming to be of Taliban decent Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are their supporters and funders

What I learned
Through this research, I learned that the Taliban wasnt just a terrorist group whom Americans have claimed their enemy. They are a civilian and soldier led organization based on the sole purpose of spreading extremist ways of Islam and morals no matter what the cost. These concepts could include harsh attacks on other groups and people, or could just be imprisonment and death of civilians due to very little disagreements in politics and way of life. Overall, they are a malicious Afghan group inspired to spread ideas through a way of violence.

 The knowledge that I acquired during this research project will help me be more aware in the future. Everyday, innocent people die due to events caused by a terrorist or extremist. Although it doesnt affect my daily life, there is always a possibility that it could happen to the least likely places. If I can stay informed through reliable sources, that education on worldly events would help me grow as a global citizen.

Reflection

Citations
http://www.cfr.org/afghanistan/taliban-afghanistan/p10551 Muslimvoices.org Vkb.isvg.org http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/09/afghan_talib an_claim.php Oddculture.com http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB97/