Is this true? (re: Taliban)

[ButterflyBlood]

I heard that the extreme Islamic law imposed by the Taliban is actually unique to them, even the most extreme Muslim fundamentalists in other countries didn't go as far as they did. Much of it was based on very out of context Koran excerpts and in some cases just made up. The reason is that during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the CIA wanted to stir people up against the Soviets as much as possible, so knowing that they were mostly uneducated and largely illiterate and not too familiar with modern Islam, they would drop pamphlets for the few literate people could read that emphasized some of the most extreme and violent excerpts from the Koran to stir people up in a huge anti-Soviet fury. They would later edit these pamphlets and continue to distribute them to promote war mongering religious fanaticism to the highest degree.

Therefore, the horrific treatment under the Taliban is the fault of the CIA and Reagan administration, as well as massive support for al-Qaeda which no doubt resulted from that.

[ET Awful]

1. My understanding was that the Taliban came about as a reactionary

measure to the killing and raping being done by the warlords (many of whom later formed the Northern Alliance and now hold power in much of the country). I haven't heard anything about the pamphlets, etc.

[Kagemusha]

2. The taliban were educated in Saudi-financed schools near the

Pakistani border. The type of islam taught is the extreme version of Sunni Islam that the Saudi monarchy claims to be defending and helping prosper, not just in Saudi Arabia but all over the world. This is their religious claim for why they should continue as royals.

[stillcool]

3. The taliban was thought to be a...

stabilizing factor in Afghanistan enabling oil companies to build the much sought after pipe-line without fear of sabotage. Some in government thought that the human rights offenses of the taliban could be controlled, and continued support in the name of enterprise.
Only when the abuses became known in the MSM, did these corporations withdraw, and well here we are.

[EVDebs]

4. Taliban was born in Deobandi Koranic School near New Delhi

India. Talib means 'student'. Wahabi sect of Islam, in the deal to rule Saudi Arabia, fits right in with this blending of fundumentalism. Sufism is by far the mildest version of Islam I've heard of.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

"The Taliban may have been defeated militarily in Afghanistan, but the ideology of the militia lives on at its wellspring - a madrassa (Koranic seminary) in this small town in this northern Indian state"

'Taliban ideology lives on in India'
By Rahul Bedi Dec. 12, 2001
http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/CL12Df01.html

[Warpy]

5. No other rigidly Islamic country ever forced women

to paint their windows black and go out with even their faces covered so that sunlight never touched their skin and they were never able to feel a breeze.

No other rigidly Islamic country has ever forbidden women to be educated, to hold jobs, to own property, and to support themselves if they are widowed.

No matter how they came to power, and many people did support them for their end to lawlessness, their war against women was hideous. Even the council of Mullahs in Iran complained, saying they were giving Islam a bad name.

[Grey Ranks]

6. We can learn a lesson

Bush can learn a lesson from them if it is true. He can invent bible quotes to support his crusade:

"And Jesus said to Joseph, 'There shall be one Busheth, who shall smite the liberal infidel who doth believe in gay union, the act of heathen love.'"