Misunderstanding of Islam and Terrorism [Archives:2001/50/Focus]

Abdulrahman Ahmad Abduh
In a short period of time and little by little, the Taliban was able to usurp power in Afghanistan and take over its lands. Since then, the Taliban have imposed strict measures on their people and have made the people more self-contained in the face of these global changes. In this respect, for a long time the Taliban have remained in a land isolated from the external world in all aspects of life, and the world has regarded this country as a country that harbors terrorists. Undoubtedly, the Afghan people have responded positively to the Taliban movement, and in 1996 they seized the opportunity to usurp power in Afghanistan. The main reason behind this eagerness to support the Taliban is the longing for peace and stability after the ups and downs of many years of battle.
The Taliban still adhere to some undesirable social measures, such as the prohibition of listening to music and taking photographs, under the pretense that it is legally forbidden. The most tangible problem lies in the fact that the Taliban do not allow a woman to work outside her home; her job is to stay home. The Taliban movement orders the people to grow beards. As if this is not enough, it also specifies the length of the beard, and in addition, it orders students to wear emamah, a mans headdress (turban) worn chiefly by Muslims when they go to school.
Contradictions that are imposed by the Taliban upon the Afghan people seem strange, for at the same time that listening to music and taking photographs are forbidden, the opium trade is allowed to go on, or at least is not forbidden by the Taliban. Furthermore, the country has not been reconstructed after several years of devastating wars and extreme poverty.
Returning to bygone times under the control of an ambiguous person, willingly or unwillingly they obey their leader and his orders to implement the orders of Islam according to what he says. This, of course, has led to a false, fabricated and distorted picture of Islam and its principles in front of the entire world, from which the US and the Western countries have gained a false impression of Islam and have linked it to terrorism.
The Taliban have gotten a taste of establishing a country. It is not important to mention its supporters; the main thing is that the movement is Afghan and the people belong to Islam, and now it is itself a victim under the pretext of harboring terrorism.

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