One could argue that the Taliban is “radical,” but Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already stated that Turkey has nothing that contradicts Taliban beliefs. Plus, it isn’t only the Taliban that is enraged over the Qur’an burning in Sweden. Reaction from the Taliban came after the Organization of Islamic Cooperation “stressed the need for […]
Afghanistan: Taliban kills farmer for not paying zakat
Almsgiving, zakat, is one of the pillars of Islam. But like virtually everything else in Islam, it is not a matter of voluntary concern for the needy. It’s an obligation, the refusal of which can have lethal consequences. “Farmer killed by Taliban for not paying Tithe in Kabul,” South Asia Terrorism Portal, June 28, 2023 […]
Afghanistan: Taliban ignores terrorism commitments, appoints al-Qaeda jihadis as governors
Did anyone really believe that the Taliban would honor its promise not to allow al-Qaeda to regroup in the country? Maybe the foreign policy establishment did, but no one with any sense. “We went to Afghanistan almost 20 years ago with clear goals: get those who attacked us on September 11th, 2001, and make sure […]
Afghanistan: Taliban diverts foreign humanitarian aid to its own members and causes
We’ve pointed out that this was happening many times. No one cares. The Biden regime continues to send billions to Afghanistan, claiming that the money won’t go to the Taliban. This is an absurd claim. “Charities say Taliban intimidation diverts aid to Taliban members and causes,” by Ruchi Kumar, NPR, June 23, 2023 (thanks to […]
Afghanistan: Taliban now selling tickets to see where the giant Buddhas they blew up used to be
This doesn’t represent a change of heart; they just need money. They still believe in the Qur’an’s suggestion that the destroyed remnants of ancient non-Muslim civilizations are a sign of Allah’s punishment of those who rejected his truth: “Many were the ways of life that have passed away before you: travel through the earth, and […]
Afghanistan: Religious police to scour wedding halls to enforce ban on music, it’s un-Islamic
The Taliban has been seeking out weddings to find any of them playing music or celebrating in any manner that contradicts Islam. Music, except nasheeds, a cappella exhortations to jihad, are all haram in Islam. To give an idea of how seriously these rules are taken by those who strictly adhere to the Sharia in […]
Afghanistan: Taliban officials targeted at mosque prayers, at least 15 dead, 50 wounded
This is likely the work of the Islamic State. The Qur’an forbids a Muslim to kill another Muslim (4:92), so it has become relatively common for rival factions to pronounce takfir against each other, that is, declare the other group non-Muslim. Then they can lawfully be killed. “Deadly Blast Hits Afghan Mosque During Memorial Service […]
Afghanistan: Ministry of Higher Education warns university lecturers to avoid criticizing the Taliban regime
In the West, university lecturers avoid criticizing the ruling regime as a matter of course and a consciously chosen choice, as long as the ruling regime is part of the Leftist establishment. In Afghanistan, however, academics are not quite so eager to conform to the establishment narrative, and have to be warned in a letter […]
Taliban and Iran Start Killing Each Other
“We will conquer Iran within 24 hours.” There’s an upside to leading from behind. When Obama retreated from Iraq, ISIS emerged and ushered in a wave of brutal warfare against Iranian proxies and fellow Sunni Islamists capping off the Arab Spring and the New Middle East with a bang. Biden’s retreat from Afghanistan hasn’t been […]
Afghanistan: Taliban shot female police officer nine times, stabbed her ten times, gouged out her eyes
While they were doing all this, they believed they were performing a righteous act, because the Qur’an says: “Make ready for them all that you can of force and of warhorses, so that by them you may strike terror in the enemy of Allah and your enemy…” (8:60) “Eyes gouged out, shot at 9 bullets, […]