The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Mass Mobilization, Civil War, and the Future of the Region. By Neamatollah Nojumi. New York: Palgrave, 2002. Pp. 260, with bibliography and index. $18.95 (paperback). ISBN: 0312295847.
In his introduction, Nojumi writes, “For my part, I hope this study becomes a useful source for those curious minds and passionate hearts who always desired to know what was really happening inside Afghanistan over the past three decades (1978–2000).” I believe the author met his goal.
Neamatollah Nojumi gives us a glimpse into the deep and complicated history of Afghanistan, helping the reader understand more clearly how the Taliban rose to power. Nojumi grew up in Afghanistan, participating in the Mujahideen fight against the Soviet invasion and contributing to the provision of medical care and other services to displaced Afghans, whether they were forced to relocate outside the boundaries of Afghanistan or within. He offers an inside perspective of the developments within his country over the last 30 years.
He explains that historically, Afghanistan was a “bridge between Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East” (p. 63), resulting in many ethnic and linguistic groups living there. Included are eight major ethnic groups (Pushtons, Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, Baluchis, Turkmens, Aimaqs, and Kirghiz) resulting in even more dialects. However, even though there were differences between localities involving ethnicity, religion, and linguistics, there was a shared sense of tradition that allowed them to live together in peace for many years (p. 228).
Nojumi writes about the beginning of the modern upheaval in Afghanistan with the Soviet invasion in late 1979, and the creation of various Mujahideen groups (holy warriors). He states that the Mujahideen violence was a crucial response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the aggression of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA). The “consensus of the general population” for the uprising was that the revolt was necessary to protect citizens’ rights (p. 26). He stresses that even though for centuries Afghanistan had not been ruled by religious leaders, the people were “influenced by the teachings of Sufi and Islamic mystic leaders…. These Sufi leaders encouraged peace, tolerance, and love.”
During the 1980s (while the Soviets occupied Afghanistan) thousands of religious schools (madresahs) opened across Pakistan, including in areas where many Afghan refugees lived. Here the ideological formation of the Taliban began, even though it did not become really powerful until the 1990s. As these students grew older, many of them went to Afghanistan to manage the religious affairs of the Mujahideen groups, and over time many received military training and formed local groups of full-time, armed activists. They took with them the religious call of the Taliban leaders to restore order in Afghanistan, and that was interpreted as the call to “enforce the rule of Islamic Law (Shari’ah)” (p. 126).
In the mid 1990s, the Taliban formed the General Department for the Preservation of Virtue and the Elimination of Vice. Young men would patrol the streets to make sure that the Taliban laws were followed (laws such as men not shaving their beards and women being covered from head to toe with a garment [bughrah]). Later, in January 1997, military battles erupted between the Taliban and opponents of this religious rule.
Nojumi describes the opium growth in Afghanistan and how the illegal sale of the plant helps finance the Taliban. Readers learn how this plant caused growing addictions among the people of not only Afghanistan but also neighboring countries. For this reason, there were also a growing number of conflicts regarding the illegal sales of this plant between various countries
Through this 30-year time period, we learn about the support of other countries (including the United States and Saudi Arabia) for various leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Nojumi reports on involvement by China and Russia. He believes that most of the problems that have faced Afghanistan during this time have come about because of influences and interference from outsiders. However, he also states in his epilogue that, “To explain helps understanding, but is not to condone; accurate diagnosis is the first step in any treatment” (p. 222).
This book would be great for anyone truly interested in learning about the current and past history of Central Asia, the Taliban, and Afghanistan. However, it does not offer the only perspective on this complex issue. To take from Nojumi’s quote above, it will most likely also require reading other authors’ perspectives to make a more “accurate diagnosis.”
Included is a rather short chronological list of events covering the years 1784 through 2000 and a four-page list of definitions and abbreviations, which each would be more effective and helpful if expanded. There is also an excellent bibliography and index. A multi-paged List of Notes section is included that is very helpful for the reader who wants to research further into particular subjects and events about which Nojumi writes.
This book will be a tremendous help to anyone who has that “desire to know.” However, unless the person reading this book has studied Afghanistan extensively in the past, the reader will struggle without the necessary maps. The fact that no maps were included was a great deficit. There were so many military conflicts in various towns and communities, border disagreements, opium fields, displacement of people from one area to another, and issues surrounding access to the Persian Gulf, that maps are a necessary visual to understand and picture in our minds what and where all these concerns, problems, and triumphs took place.
Antoinette W. Satterfield
Kansas State University
Tags: Afghanistan, Mujahidin, Taliban