The Taliban Reader: War, Islam and Politics in their Own Words

Description

Who are the Taliban? Are they a militant movement? Are they religious scholars? The fact that these and other questions are still raised with frequency is testimony to the way the movement has been studied, often at arm's length and with scant use of primary sources. The Taliban Reader forges a new path, bringing together an extensive range of largely unseen sources in a guide to the Afghan Islamist movement from a unique insider perspective. Ideal for students, journalists and scholars alike, this book is the result of an unprecedented, decade-long effort to encourage the emergence of participant-centered accounts of Afghan history. This ground-breaking collection, ranging from news articles and opinion pieces to online publications and poems transcribed by hand in the field, sets the stage for a recalibration of how we understand and study the Afghan Taliban. It challenges researchers to forge new norms in the documentation of conflict and provides insight into the future trajectory of political Islamism in South Asia and the Middle East. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Dedication Contents Introduction Part 1: Mujahedeen And Topakiyaan (1979–1994) 1. The Taliban Fronts 2. Desert Attack 3. Miracles of the Jihad 4. Soviet Andrei 5. Martyr Hajji Mullah Mohammad Osman Akhund 6. The Men with Guns Part 2: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1994–2001) Nascent State (1994–1996) 7. The Beginning 8. Message of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Movement of the Taliban 9. Oh Proud People of this Country! Get to Know the Taliban Movement! 10. Simple Lives 11. For the Implementation of Allah’s Law 12. The Aim of Our Jihad is to Implement Islamic principles 13. The Muslim People of Kandahar Will Support the Islamic Movement of the Taliban Until Their Last Breath 14. Custom Tax Starts, Following the Request of Traders and the Decree of the Religious Scholars 15. A Talib Does Not Want Anything Else 16. It is an Obligation for All Religious Leaders and the People to do Jihad Against the Oppressors 17. In the Dictionary of Islam, Martyrdom Does Not Mean Death 18. What Did a Martyred Talib Want? 19. Politics and Government in the Light of Islam 20. Who Should be the Caliph and What Should He Do? 21. Mullah Mohammad Omar Akhund: We Are Trying to Prevent Any Conflict in the Country 22. The Secret of Our Success Lies in Obedience 23. The Current Circumstance and the Responsibilities of the Religious Scholars 24. We Are Not Racists, Nor Are We Narrow-Minded 25. Leave Us Alone 26. Message from Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Ludhianvi 27. Obedience to the Amir 28. Visitors from London Beginning Government (1996–1998) 29. Special Announcement of Amir uL-Mu’Mineen Following the Takeover of Kabul 30. Negative Responses to the Islamic Government’s Objectives 31. The Way of Deliverance: Q&A with Mawlawi Abdul Ali Deobandi 32. Speech by Mullah Mohammad Omar 33. The Group 34. Only the Islamic Emirate Can Bring Country-Wide Peace 35. Opening a Library For Jihadi Relics 36. Great and Historic Poetry-Reading Contest Held as an Initiative of Shariat Weekly 37. Historic Poetry-Reading Contest of Shariat Weekly: A Great Example of the Islamic Movement’s Promotion of Poetry and Literature 38. Message of the Head of the Supervisory Council to Participants of the Poetry-Reading Contest 39. The Resolution of the Frontier Tribal-Wide Jirga 40. Your Letters, Our Responses 41. The Martyrs Are Here 42. On Becoming the ‘Islamic Emirate’ 43. Interview with Mullah Mohammad Omar 44. The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice 45. All of Our Efforts Are for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice 46. Mullah Mohammad Omar and the Apple Isolation and Retrenchment (1998–2001) 47. The Responsibilities of an Amir and His Officials in the Islamic Shari’a 48. Accomplishments of the Taliban Islamic Movement and Its Aims 49. Ways of Protecting the Islamic Movement from Veering Off Course 50. We Should Use Soft Language While Enforcing the Promotion of Virtue 51. Our Madrassas Need Various Reforms 52. Blind Memorisers of the Holy Qur’an Will Have The Rights of Grade Three Employees 53. Martyr Friend 54. Even if Osama Leaves the Country, the Line of American Excuses Will Still Remain Long 55. Instead of Tackling the Real Culprits, the UN Security Council Threatens Others 56. Message from the Esteemed Leader of the Faithful on International Women’s Day 57. Constitution 58. Shari’a Court Punishes Three Criminals Part 3: Insurgency (2001– ) Shock and Awe (2001–2003) 59. His Excellency Amir uL-Mumineen’s Order 60. Taliban Responses to 11 September 61. Resolution and Fatwa of a Big Gathering of Clerics Expansion & Revival (2004–2010) 62. An Interview with Satan 63. Sugar-Coated Poison 64. Layeha: A Jihadi Code of Conduct (2006 Edition) 65. Correcting Some Ideas 66. Message of Amir ul-Mu’mineen to the Nations of Afghanistan and Iraq 67. Our Heroic Martyrs 68. Statement on the Death of Mullah Dadullah 69. One Talib: I’m Fed Up With Jihad 70. Dialogue With an Official From the Political Committee 71. Open Letter to the Shanghai Summit 72. A Glance at the American Elections Drama 73. Can We Call This Reconciliation? 74. An In-Depth Interview With Haji Ahmad Saeed, Head of Operations in Kandahar City 75. On the Sudden Death of Holbrooke 76. Mullah Mohammad Omar’s Eid ul-Adha Statement 77. Interview With the Islamic Emirate Website Administrator 78. When the Dead Are Living and the Living Are Dead 79. Code of Conduct for the Mujahedeen (2010 Edition) New Realities (2011–2017) 80. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and its Successful Administrative Policy 81. Afghan Women and the American Literacy Programme 82. Response of the Islamic Emirate to the Victory of the Popular Uprising in Egypt 83. History and the Interests of the Shari’a 84. The Red Cross and Non-Decaying Bodies 85. On the Martyrdom of the Great Martyr Sheikh Osama bin Laden 86. Islamic Revival 87. The Prison Break Story: How Fiction Became Reality 88. On Schools 89. Promotion of Education Inside the Country is One of the Main Objectives of the Islamic Emirate 90. Q&A: Education and Women 91. The Crucial Responsibility of the Nation Towards the Chaste Afghan Women 92. On the Withdrawal of Foreign Troops, the Afghan Case and Reconciliation 93. Chantilly Conference Statement 94. Q&A: Peace Negotiations 95. Q&A On Amr bil Marouf 96. Q&A: Media Jihad 97. Q&A: A Personal Question 98. Who Should be Executed: The Mujahedeen or the National Traitors? 99. A Historical Tale of Attraction to Jihad 100. The Difference Between Jihad and Fighting 101. Jihad is a Clear and Absolute Obligation of Islam 102. A Number of Important Factors for Jihad 103. Restrictions and Constraints in Jihad (2014) 104. Seven Threats to Jihad 105. Jihad is a Sacred and Holy Adoration! 106. Suicide Attacks and the Shari’a 107. Q&A: Suicide Bombing 108. Q&A: Explosives Training and Civilian Casualties 109. Interview With Mawlawi Ahmad Bilal, Head of the Control and Co-Ordination Commission for NGOs and Companies 110. The Nullification of the Recent Talisman of the Invaders 111. A Look at the US–Afghan Security and Defence Cooperation Agreement 112. The Arabian Peninsula is Fraught With Divine Auspiciousness! 113. The Secret of Muslims’ Glory Lies in Their Unity! 114. The Definition, Authority and Purpose of an Amir According to the Shari’a 115. The Afghan People Wants Peace, Their Enemy War 116. Hallmarks of the Islamic Emirate’s Jihadi Management 117. Pugwash Talks Statement 118. Special Instructions From the Islamic Emirate’s Leadership on Precautionary Means to Prevent Civilian Casualties in the Ongoing Jihad 119. Commemorating the Nineteenth Anniversary of the Historical Gathering and Selection of Amir ul-Mu’mineen on 4 April 1996 in Kandahar 120. 9/11: An Incident and a Pretext 121. Islamic Emirate: Solution to All Problems 122. Statement of the Islamic Emirate on the Fifteenth Anniversary of the American Invasion 123. Instructions to the Mujahedeen From the Commander of the Faithful Notes Glossary Further reading Acknowledgements Index