The Ever-Changing Numbers Of The Taliban Ranks

The Taliban is a predominantly Pashtun, Islamic fundamentalist group that returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021 after waging a twenty-year insurgency. The Taliban's first rule lasted from 1996 to 2001, when they were overthrown by US-led forces.

The Taliban is led by a leadership council called the Rahbari Shura, or Quetta Shura, and its government is led by a thirty-three-member caretaker cabinet. The Taliban's first leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, was succeeded by Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, who was killed in a US airstrike in 2016. The current leader is Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, who has not been seen publicly in years.

The Taliban's success as an insurgency rested on its ability to remain cohesive despite NATO efforts to fragment the group. However, maintaining cohesiveness is now tougher now that they are in power. The Taliban's challenge is to balance the disparate views of its many factions, which vary in ideological intensity and material interests.

Estimates of the number of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan vary. While US estimates put the number at around 25,000, this figure is considered to be too low as there are part-time as well as full-time fighters, and numbers fluctuate with the seasons.

The Taliban's relationship with al-Qaeda

The Taliban is a Pashto word meaning "students". In 1994, Mullah Mohammad Omar and 50 students founded the group in Kandahar, where Omar had been studying since 1992. The group's motivation was to impose Islamic law in Afghanistan and rid the country of warlords and criminals. Within months, 15,000 students in Pakistan, mostly Afghan refugees studying in religious schools or madrassas, joined the Taliban.

Some analysts attribute the Taliban-al-Qaeda relationship to the history of Afghans and Arab militants fighting together against the Soviet Union. Others point to marital ties among the families of key leaders or the experience of fighting together against a common enemy. There is also a political logic to the relationship, grounded in the groups' ideological projects.

Despite some tensions and calls from within the Taliban to distance themselves from al-Qaeda, there are no signs of a major crackdown on the relationship. The Taliban publicly insists that al-Qaeda is not in Afghanistan, but in private, leaders express support for foreign jihadist fighters. The relationship between the two groups remains intact, with signs of political alignment and collaboration on the battlefield.

The Taliban's treatment of women

Education

The Taliban have banned girls from attending secondary school and university. They have also banned boys and girls from co-education. In some provinces, girls are still allowed to attend secondary school, despite the nation-wide ban.

Employment

The Taliban have banned women from working in most sectors, including government offices, NGOs, and the justice system. They have also barred women from working for international organisations or NGOs, as well as banning them from working on women's empowerment projects.

Freedom of Movement

The Taliban have banned women from travelling outside the country without a male family member, or mahram. Women are also banned from travelling more than 45 miles (70km) without a mahram.

Dress Code

The Taliban have mandated that women wear a burqa or an abaya paired with a niqab (which leaves only the eyes uncovered) in public. They have also ordered TV presenters to cover their faces on air.

Healthcare

The Taliban have banned women from accessing public baths, parks, and gyms. They have also banned women from entering health centres and cemeteries without a mahram.

Sport

The Taliban have banned women from participating in any sport.

Entertainment

The Taliban have banned women from visiting historic places, such as monuments and sightseeing spots. They have also banned foreign TV series.

Public Spaces

The Taliban have banned women from entering coffee shops, restaurants, and parks without a mahram.

Legal System

The Taliban have barred women from working as lawyers, judges, or in other positions in the justice system. They have also invalidated divorces that were under review during the previous government, forcing battered women to return to abusive husbands.

Corporal Punishment

The Taliban have reinstated corporal punishments, such as flogging and stoning, for violations of their laws.

The Taliban's treatment of ethnic minorities

The Taliban's ideology is heavily influenced by Pashtunwali, a pre-Islamic cultural tribal code focused on preserving honour. The Taliban are predominantly Pashtun and have been accused of attempting to exert Pashtun dominance within the northern areas of Afghanistan.

The Taliban have been accused of committing massacres against civilians, including the Hazaras, an ethnic group who are predominantly Shia Muslims. The Taliban have also been accused of perpetrating ethnic cleansing against the Hazaras, forcing them from their homes and land. The Taliban have also been accused of perpetrating massacres against the Tajiks, another ethnic minority group.

The Taliban have also been accused of persecuting Hindus and Sikhs, who have lived in Afghanistan for centuries. The Taliban imposed strict Sharia laws on these groups, causing their populations to fall rapidly as they emigrated from Afghanistan. The Taliban have also been accused of forcing Sikhs and Hindus to wear yellow badges to identify them, reminiscent of the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany.

The Taliban have also been accused of persecuting Shia Muslims, who make up around 15% of Afghanistan's population. The Taliban have banned Shia jurisprudence in courts and restricted their religious events and celebrations. The Taliban have also been accused of preventing the Shia community from observing their religion.

The Taliban have also been accused of perpetrating violence against civilians, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary detention.

The Taliban's treatment of the LGBTQ+ community

Under the Taliban's rule, LGBTQ+ people have faced an increasingly desperate situation and grave threats to their safety and lives. Many have reported being attacked, sexually assaulted, or directly threatened by members of the Taliban because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Taliban have also been known to lure LGBTQ+ people to their deaths, by making fake profiles on social media sites and duping them into meetings.

The Taliban's interpretation of Sharia law deems homosexuality punishable by death. Under their rule, LGBTQ+ people have been stoned, or had walls fall on them. They have also been subjected to public floggings and executions.

The Taliban's relationship with Pakistan

However, the relationship between the two has also been strained at times. The Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan has emboldened the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group that seeks to establish a Taliban-style regime in Pakistan. The TTP has carried out numerous attacks in Pakistan, leading to tensions with the Pakistani government. Additionally, the Taliban's refusal to accept the Durand Line as the international border between the two countries has been a persistent source of conflict.

Overall, the Taliban's relationship with Pakistan is complex and multifaceted, shaped by shared religious, ethnic, and geopolitical interests, as well as competing objectives and ideological differences.

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