By Abdul Saboor Sitez 

Extremism means departing from the road of moderation and rationality and relying on unjust prejudices and stagnant beliefs, considering one’s own way and customs to be correct and considering other people’s beliefs and ways to be invalid. Rationality fades in the face of extremism. It can be said that the set of political, social, cultural, historical and economic factors in a society work hand in hand to facilitate the collusion and cooperation of extremism.

Extremists use religious ideologies and unusual understandings of religious texts and values as the greatest tools to create, promote and institutionalize extremist thought, by linking religion with political, social, and cultural variables appropriate to the circumstances of certain societies. Extremism, as a phenomenon that is the product of violent behavior and the spread of terrorism, targets the structures, norms and values of a society. Extremism has always been a concern to the world, and Afghanistan had been struggling with this phenomenon for a long time, to the extent that it has caused the collapse of most civil and democratic systems in the country.

According to the meaning of the word fundamentalism, this way of thinking is not inherently wrong, but it is based on the fundamental principles. But in practice and appearance, this ideology has taken a different color and has caused extremism; extremism in the name of religion in most countries. Extremism as a process occurs at three levels: the individual, group, and masses. Sometimes they start from the individual and gather like-minded people around them and form large masses. In many extremist movements, the issue that forms the basis of their behavior has a religious color. In fact, religious extremism is the deviation from moderate perspectives to radicalism. That is, it is an interpretation of religion that is often associated with intolerance, discrimination and calling for violent resistance.

Referring to the history in Afghanistan, the root of extremism can be found in the four decades of war and military policy in the country, after this trend was established in other countries. Its beginning can be seen in the war against the aggression of the former Soviet Union in the name of Jihad. In the late 1970s and 1980s, religious groups stood up to the competing socialist ideologies that culminated with the Soviet invasion, and with the declaration of jihad, most of them turned to fundamentalist conceptions of Islam as a way of resistance.

After the withdrawal of the Soviet Union, civil wars in Afghanistan increased and the political and religious groups that had fought against the Soviet Union under the name of jihad, lined up against each other instead. Many of these wars were ethnic and sectarian in nature; wars that were justified and created based on religious differences. These wars brought about a group of fundamentalists who stood against the Mujahideen, under the name of the Taliban. They used fundamentalist ideas as a way to take control of power and rule over Afghanistan.

Religion has become the most used tool to reach power after the 1980s in the region. This has affected the growth of religious extremism in neighboring countries and Afghanistan, such as: the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1978, the prominent role of religion in the politics of Pakistan, and the victory of the Mujahideen of Afghanistan in the early 1990s, with historians and researchers considering extremism to be the root of cause of these movements.

The group known as the Taliban first came to power in 1996 amid political turmoil in Afghanistan. At first, the Taliban group emerged like poisonous mushrooms with a small area under their control in the south of Kandahar. They held completely dogmatic and religious views, and relied on Pashtunwali and ethnic support to grow. They were able to find a place among the Pashtun people and demand the establishment of an Islamic government following Sharia law. After the civil wars, Afghanistan entered another period of suffocation, and during the five years of the Taliban’s rule the country was catastrophically prevented from developing.

With the start of the NATO military operation in 2001 and the establishment of the republican system, Afghanistan followed a new path. Afghanistan had been able to weaken the roots of fundamentalism in big cities, over  the last twenty years, under the republican system. However, extremism did not weaken within the strong religious and traditional society of the country during this time. With the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021 things took a new turn.

During the last two decades the Taliban had used the more violent forms of extremism, apart from just killing and shedding the blood of innocent people. The Taliban has a very extreme interpretation of Islam. When the Taliban came to power, women were deprived of all political and social rights, school doors were closed to girls and female teachers were dismissed from their jobs. During this period, women were deprived of their most natural and basic human rights.

It is no exaggeration to refer to Taliban rule as the graveyard of Afghan women. The Taliban’s position towards women is rooted in a belief in the inferior status of women as human beings who are not equal to men in terms of human dignity. According to Taliban ideology, a women’s role is that of a wife and mother only. They cannot imagine women seeking knowledge, acquiring skills, working, and entering politics, among other social roles.

Since the birth of the Taliban and after gaining power again two years ago, the Taliban have not given any roles to women in their government. They have no plans to see women flourish in society. The Taliban are now digging a deeper and darker well to bury and imprison women. The Taliban have not changed ideologically in the last twenty years. It is difficult, and impossible, for this terrorist group to accept the fact that the position of women in the current society of Afghanistan is much different than in the past.

In the last two decades, women have fought back against many challenges, most of which were caused by religious and tribal extremism. They were able to work together with men in the development of Afghanistan. For this reason, the Taliban are engaging in sinister tactics to deprive women of their rights by closing the gates of schools and imposing strict rules on women’s clothing and movement. This is despite the fact that the Taliban promised in their recent political agreement with the United States that they would support the rights of women.

However, no behavioral change has been shown by the group, instead, they are trying to politicize women’s fundamental rights, and pressure countries and institutions that support women’s rights to legitimize and accept their terrorist regime. The presence of the Taliban has impacted the emotions and feelings of society in Afghanistan, and has caused a huge shock. Now the time has come to change the cultural situation in the country.

The values that were gained through countless sacrifices are being destroyed. People are obliged to comply with a forced and imposed culture. Growing a beard, wearing a turban, compulsory hijab, separating women from society, imposing extensive restrictions on people, physical and religious inspections, and banning the presence of mixed families in recreational programs and parks are just some of the examples of forced change that are being imposed on citizens.

Fear of arrest or death has allowed for the widespread acceptance of these rules. As a result, people are experiencing emotional and psychological breakdowns. This has therefore deeply changed society’s norms, values and beliefs. The result of this forced change and transformation is anxiety, confusion, fatigue, intense emotional distress and mental and economic pressure, which then create the basis for bigger social problems. Confusion has disrupted many social and emotional relationships. Forced displacement, migration, brain drain, the destruction of the urban middle class, and the presence of rural forces within cities have brought about profound changes and huge disruptions.

The current situation in Afghanistan is not only a political and economic crisis, but  also has wider societal implications, given the severe denial of fundamental rights. The new order of the Ministry of Public Affairs and Prohibition of the Taliban can also be understood and analyzed under the axis of cultural shocks. Until now, no one in Afghanistan has been veiled according to religious and cultural views. This was only formerly done during the previous Taliban rule. Based on religious values, women in Afghanistan have always worn clothes that are fully compatible with Islamic standards, religious texts and Sharia law. The hijab does not have a specific color or cover. What the Taliban imposes on Afghan women is not Islamic, rather it is cultural, and a violation of their personal choice.

Another example of the Taliban’s extremism is banning music. This dogma does not end here, in an official letter the Taliban have ordered all government departments in to establish their autocratic, tribal and religious system across the country. All official government correspondence must be done in Pashto. This is a further attempt of erasure, that of the linguistic diversity of Afghanistan and Persian.

This article has analysed the extremist ideology and performance of the Taliban in relation to general issues affecting Afghanistan’s society. It has shown that the extremist approach of the Taliban has led Afghan society into an abyss. Undermning women’s rights highlight the extremist nature of the Taliban, as does their use of religion as a political tool. The Taliban has a dogmatic view and it cannot tolerate the diverse views of society. Therefore, they use every tool at their disposal to suppress society so that everyone is obedient and subservient. 

The Taliban’s opposition to modernization, women's education and work, the various native cultures of the country are among the issues that have brought together the people of Afghanistan against the group. In recent times, every act of the Taliban has been fuelled by extremist views, and this will further isolate the Afghan society from their ideology and increase the dissatisfaction of the people. It will put the Taliban in danger of collapsing, and the Taliban will not be able to reconcile with Afghan society. In turn, the Taliban’s extremism has undermined the gains of the last 20 years, and society will continue to suffer until there is a monumental ideological change within the country’s current political system.

Abdul Saboor Sitez, is a writer and expert on International Relations. His articles have appeared in publications, such as: Hasht -e- Subh, Etilaat Roz, Subh -e- Kabul, Afghan Women's Voices, Zan -e- Rooz.

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The article does not reflect the official opinion of the AISS.