The Taliban: War and Religion in Afghanistan

by Peter Marsden

Overview

In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, US allegations that Osama bin Laden's network was responsible, and the subsequent military attacks on Afghanistan, the Taliban have become the focal point of the West's difficult relations with the Islamic world. This book helps us understand what has been happening inside the country, the nature of radical Islamic movements, and the very difficult questions ahead which war cannot answer.

The Taliban are a manifestation of the growth of radical Islam worldwide. This book explores what they stand for and the factors leading to their rapid rise to military and political dominance over Afghanistan. It considers the influences on their ideology and describes the continuing war.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781842771679
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/01/2001
Series:	Politics in Contemporary Asia Series
Edition description:	Revised Edition
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.41(d)

About the Author

Peter Marsden has worked for the last 13 years as a specialist on aid to Afghanistan and has provided information to aid agencies, donor governments, the media and academics on the political, economic and humanitarian context in the country. He has conducted extensive research both in and out of Afghanistan over many years and has a specialist knowledge of the rapidly changing sequence of events since the Soviet withdrawal of February 1989.
Peter Marsden has worked for the last 13 years as a specialist on aid to Afghanistan and has provided information to aid agencies, donor governments, the media and academics on the political, economic and humanitarian context in the country. He has conducted extensive research both in and out of Afghanistan over many years and has a specialist knowledge of the rapidly changing sequence of events since the Soviet withdrawal of February 1989.

Table of Contents

Preface
1. Introduction
2. The nature of Afghanistan
3. The Mujahidin
4. The warriors of God
5. The Taliban creed
6. Earlier Islamic movements
7. The Afghan Islamic tradition
8. The gender policies of the Taliban
9. The dialogue with the humanitarian agencies
10. The Taliban and the international community 11. The Taliban and Pakistan
12. The Taliban and the wider region
13. Osama bin Laden
14. Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

"Provides Western policy makers with a less sensationalised and more objective account of the Taliban and how best to deal with them." --Ghayasuddin Siddiqui, Director of The Muslim Institute, London

"Deserves attention as a first study of an Islamic phenomenon which is repressive in its social and racial policies, and as hostile to Western, as it is to Communist, values." --Hugh Carless, former British Ambassador to Afghanistan

"An objective and immensely informative account.... Highly recommended." --Jonathan Fryer, The Liberator

"Particularly good on the equivocal role played by the Americans." --The Sunday Telegraph

From the Publisher

...succinctly reviews Afghanistan's history and complex ethnic and linguistic map,then situates the rise of the Taliban.
—The New York Times

Margaret A. Mills

Offering a short introduction to the subject, this book describes the ideology of the Taliban regime, its gender politics, and the nature of its rule in Afghanistan. The Taliban's rise is situated within the histories of Islam and Afghanistan, and its international significance is discussed. Particular attention is given to the regime's relationships with other countries (especially Pakistan), humanitarian organizations, and Osama bin Laden. A preface was added after September 11th. Distributed by Palgrave. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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