Why the Taliban could rule forever *and* perish quickly...

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Ever wondered how the menthality of a taliban could look alike ?

-Islam pupil: Today I heared the americans will attack our country.
-Mullah: if allah wants it, yes.
-Islam pupil: Why do they want to attack us ?
-Mullah: They are evil and enemies of islam.
-Islam pupil: Why ?
-Mullah: (thinks) They are evil and enemies of islam ... allah is allmighty.
-Islam pupil: But what will we do then? They still are a superpower ...
-Mullah: We will fight, when allah wants it.
-Islam pupil: But what do we have to counter them ?
-Mullah: We have millions of fighters and the fabulous weapons we captured from the evil invaders and enemies of islam.
-Islam pupil: But all our tanks are obsolete and we are lacking fuel ...
-Mullah: Insh'allah, a lorry will work fine as well ...
-Islam pupil: but a lorry needs fuel as well ...
-Mullah: Well, then we still have donkeys ...
-Islam pupil: But we ate our last donkeys last week ...
-Mullah: Well, then we'll walk, insh'allah
Islam pupil: Don't we need boots to walk in the mountains, oh mullah ?
-Mullah: yes.
-Islam pupil: and ?
-Mullah: Pupil, don't you trust in allah? why do you even think about such things? Allah is almighty and when you fight and die in combat against the forces of evil, you'll be in heaven and this is so much a nicer place than this world ...


The sad thing is that islam, though somehow in agony since the middle ages (lacking new ideas), is a high and highly sophisticated, great culture. The taliban, however, are following a very rural and archaic way of islam, more familiar to supposed tribal traditions than islam. However, like all barbarians they aren't able to manage what they conquered and this will be the reason for their fall.

btw: Some background info - (of course a little US minded ) http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/taleban.htm

[This message has been edited by Ragusa (edited September 24, 2001).]

 

Tal spoke out a very important fact: that was no proletarian cry-out, that was the deed of the intelectual elite which has left their bad living conditions at home years ago.
If you look at this perpetrator-profile there is still a huge manace left, for example almost all libanese intelligence lives in europe and in the US.

 

Exactly.
The point is that the core of the taliban are uneducated peasants. Their mullahs, the only people among them who are actually educated (or should be) aren't much better, some seeing proud of having read no other books in their whole life than the koran. So, to be honest, they are uneducated as well.

Recently I saw an interview with the taliban communications minister, a proven fighter and a true believer. He spend most of the day in his office, praying and drinking tea. Asked about his plans to repair the telecommunication network in his country, he aswered: "With the help of allah we will repair it (or not)."

The Taliban are ruling so hopelessly incompetent and backward the the afgan people would rather prefer the corrupt, brutal drug-dealers from the northern alliance, if they could only grant them food and a little bit of freedom. Afganistan needs food, reconstruction, infrastructure, demining and the taliban build mosques instead. Allah is more important than this miserable life on earth.

It is really sobering that they, how stupid or smart they however may be, only excell in war.

Someone teached them islam the hard way, and most of the fundamantalists haven't learned islam in universities but in islam schools in some backyard led by a fanatic. Actually the problem is that the mass movements never consist of intellectual giants, the herd just follows their leaders.
Insofar I can't see a big difference between the taliban, the nazis or the communists - they may differ in color and opinions, their modus operandi is similar. The taliban leaders could just as well name china to be the big evil in the world and their people would fight them enthusiastically.

And yes, their elite *is* smart. Trained and educated in the west they have studied at universities. So the point I am really curious about is their motivation.

Given that they hate america because the feel humiliated by the US presence at the gulf, so close to two of the holiest plaxces of islam: Then their motive is purely emotional.
Unfortunately, this lack of rationality has no effect on the determination of terrorists.

However, I cannot believe that the whole mess was just caused by plain fanatism. There must be a very serious political motive behind. The huge organizational framework, the high costs and the timing and place of the attacks makes me doubt that they did all this just to kill 6.000 people for they hate america.

I believe that things mutate: Maybe that, at the beginning, there was Mr. Bin Laden with an idea. He finds supporters, not because they are islamists as well but because they are interested in political unrest in the gulf region.
So what I aim on is: Who is the guy (or group) behind Bin Laden ? What are their intentions ?

[This message has been edited by Ragusa (edited September 24, 2001).]

 

I think it's not only the US presence at the gulf IMO the key incident was fireing
cruse missiles on Afghanistan as revenge for the embassy assassinations in 1998.
That has triggered off a solidarisation of radical elements all over the islamic world.

Bin Laden and his co leaders are very carismatic and they have the ability to
tell their people that they would be able to join traditional islamic values with
modern living conditions if the bad non islamic guys are not interfearing.
There is a reason Bin Laden has gone to Afghanistan and nowhere else.
Afghanistan is a "fallen state" what means the whole "politaical infrastucture" is gone.
The people there have nobody who shelters them against influences from outside,
the old tribal structure is not able to work without central meeting point.
(as the court was under their king till '73)
The Taliban have used this and that is the perfect environment for carismatic leaders
to pester around.

[This message has been edited by BogiTheWaverer (edited September 24, 2001).]

 

Curiously enough, the Taliban seem convinced that America wants to destroy Islam. This is not the first time I've heard Arabians express this feeling, either. Naturally, this is more than enough motive for any patriotic Arab to turn terrorist.

 

If you ask me, something like this was bound to happen. We grew complacent. We let everyone come into our country and make their "home" here. People who have no ties to our nation and no loyalty to our nations people.

 

Why shouldn't people be allowed to come to America if they want. It's called freedom. Thinking otherwise it not true American.

 

I am not saying they shouldn't be. It is just that I figured over time, people who really didn't like us would be able to come over here and do something exactly like they did. That's all. I am just not surprised.