Mujahideen

Midnight of December 24, 1979 the skies of Afghanistan were covered with the Soviets and its massive military airlift of around 280 transport aircraft and three divisions of almost 8,500 men each. That was the start of the invasion of Kabul, capital of Afghanistan (“Soviet Tanks Rolls into Afghanistan,” 2009). As the Soviets ground forces ventured out through the countryside they encountered resistance fighters, called mujahideen, who saw the atheist Soviets that controlled Afghanistan as a destruction of their faith to Islam. They declared a “jihad” (holy war) (“Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan,” 2015). One fighter in this Holy War was Osama bin Laden, a 22-year-old wealthy and educated Sunni-Muslim. In 1979 he relocated to Peshawar, Afghanistan from Saudi Arabia where he recruited and trained members of the mujahidin and helped fund this force by funneling arms, money, and…

The Taliban was formed by the Afghan faction of mujahideen, Islamic fighters who had gone against the Soviet took over Afghanistan (Laub 2014). The word Taliban means “a student studying the Islam religion.” (“The Status of Women During the Taliban Rule,” n.d.). The Taliban believed in a more conservative Islam and began to create laws that prevent women from working and introducing Islamic punishment such as stoning to death and amputation (Pemberton 2016). Women were confined to their homes…

Changing Afghanistan Politics and its Role in The Kite Runner The landlocked country of Afghanistan, rich with power stricken history and brutality, is enduring a continuous shift of power. The Kite Runner, a novel written by Khaled Hosseini in 2003, portrays the Afghanistan lifestyle as it experiences constant political turmoil and the force of power and politics molding the Afghanistan lifestyle. The novel is told from Amir’s point of view as he experiences a guilt ridden life filled with his…

From 1979 until 1989, Soviet troops fought a brutal war in the mountains of Afghanistan, but at home the war was virtually nonexistent. The Soviet government attempted to hide the war by censoring letters, prohibiting photographs, and suppressing information regarding dead soldiers. It claimed that troops were fulfilling their ‘international duty’ and promoting a socialist state, helping to build schools, hospitals, etc.; in reality, young men, mostly ages 18-20 were facing fierce resistance by…

1.How does Laila’s life in Murree contrast with her life in Kabul? Laila 's life in Murree is much better than her life in Kabul. She is safer due to the fact that Rasheed is no longer abusing her or her children and is now in the hands Tariq. In Kabul she was forced to things she wasn 't comfortable doing and forced her to keep herself shut. In Pakistan she has the freedom to do things she couldn 't do while she was in Kabul. 2.Is Laila’s expectation that Zalmai will learn to accept his…

I listened to the audio speech broadcasted for members of the Taliban movement by Amir Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansur Sahib. It is said that the speech was broadcasted this morning, through general radio communication frequency, to all mujahedin fighting against America and its supporters in Afghanistan. I will talk about the importance of the speech later, but first I should say that the new leader 's speech was like the deceased Mullah Sahib speech informal, simple in concept, and genuine. The…

The Mujahideen were a fierce guerrilla army that was created by tribes in Afghanistan to defend against the Soviet Invasion force and the Soviet backed DRA army. The entire force was composed of unpaid volunteers and less than 15% of the Mujahideen commanders had previous military experience, but the impact of those who were trained played a major role in providing military planning, issues, logistics, continuity, and gave the men minimal but vital training. The Mujahideen volunteers were…

The United States’ strategy and involvement in the Soviet-Afghan War contributed greatly to the rise of Islamic extremism and terrorism. Events like the Soviet-Afghan War inspired deep Muslim identity and a desire to fight back against invading superpowers, such as the Soviet Union. Funded by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and other countries, militant groups like the Mujahideen became powerful forces in countries with weak political systems like Afghanistan and its neighboring countries.…

The Taliban ("students of Islam"), also transliterated as Taleban, is an Islamist movement which ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, despite having diplomatic recognition from only three countries: the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. The most influential members, including Mullah Mohammed Omar, the leader of the movement, were simple village ulema (Islamic religious scholars). Taliban legend has it that in the spring of 1994, upon hearing of the abduction and rape…

Are the Taliban good? Or are they bad? There are several views on this “Islamic fundamentalist political movement,” in Afghanistan. In the western world we have developed an image about how wrong and dangerous the Taliban are which is why we may find it difficult to conceptualise any good of their intentions, myself included. This negative perspective from us outsiders may be due to our knowledge on their abhorrent enforcements of laws. Furthermore, this view could shield us from the intentions…