Most recent articles by Emran Feroz
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Music in Taliban AfghanistanForgotten sounds
Kharabat was once Kabul's sacred music district, but since the Taliban returned to Afghanistan, music has been banned. Yet those brought up for a life of performance have not given up hope
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Taliban Afghanistan 2 years onReport from a forgotten land
15 August 2023 marked the second anniversary of the Taliban's return to Afghanistan. Emran Feroz recently travelled through the country – here is his exclusive report for Qantara.de on everyday life in Kabul
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AfghanistanThe Taliban’s "War on Terror"
In their battle against the Islamic State's Afghan cell, the Taliban have appropriated the tactics of their former enemy: the Afghan government and its U.S. backers. They, however, are more likely to receive support from regional actors. Analysis by Emran Feroz
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The West's failure in AfghanistanAuthors of 'War on Terror' in denial to the bitter end
How could the Afghan government and its institutions collapse so quickly? That things were going wrong in Afghanistan had been obvious for a long time, yet the West preferred to look the other way, writes Emran Feroz
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The fate of Europe's unwanted Afghans"Deportee Central" – a seedy hotel in downtown Kabul
Even in times of war and pandemic, refugees are still being deported to Afghanistan. Several deportation flights have taken place in recent weeks alone. Since those affected often have nothing to go back to, many of them end up in a seedy hotel in downtown Kabul. Emran Feroz reports from the Afghan capital
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No end to conflict on the Hindu Kush?Islamic State threatens long-term peace in Afghanistan
A recent surge in attacks by Islamic State Khorasan Province in Afghanistan, claimed or otherwise, suggests the terrorist group is intent on disrupting any long-term peace initiatives between Kabul and the Taliban. By Emran Feroz
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War crimes on the Hindu Kush?Death by drone – the United States' vicious Afghan legacy
The United States carried out more drone attacks on Afghanistan in 2019 than in any other year since Pentagon records began in 2006. The victims of this questionable military tactic, portrayed as precision strikes to kill alleged militants, are frequently innocent civilians, yet no one seems to care. Emran Feroz reports
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U.S.-Taliban peace dealBleak days in Afghanistan
Developments in recent days have revealed – unsurprisingly – that Donald Trump's recent "peace deal" with the Taliban is barely worth the paper it was written on. What is clear, however, is that the next president of Afghanistan, whoever that may be, will inherit a nation that has long since ceased to function. Emran Feroz reports from Mussahi
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Interview with filmmaker Mariam GhaniThe power of propaganda
In "What We Left Unfinished", Afghan-Lebanese-American filmmaker Mariam Ghani discusses the forgotten era of Afghan Communism and its ties to arts, culture and propaganda. Interview by Emran Feroz
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Negotiating peace with the TalibanAny deal will do
The tension among Kabul's political elite is palpable. Washington has been conducting negotiations for a peace deal with the insurgent Taliban in the Gulf emirate of Qatar for quite some time now, and the government in Kabul feels side-lined. Yet regardless of who is sitting around the negotiating table, almost all players in Afghanistan agree: the need for peace is urgent. By Emran Feroz
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Interview with political scientists Nader Hashemi and Danny PostelThe West's "intellectually lazy" obsession with sectarianism
Danny Postel and Nader Hashemi warn in this interview with Emran Feroz against the tendency in Western media and policy circles to view Middle Eastern politics in essentialist sectarian terms. "Sectarianization: Mapping the New Politics of the Middle East", their recent collection of essays, examines the topic in depth
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Syria’s White HelmetsStigmatising saviours
As mass murder takes place in Syria before the eyes of the world, civilian volunteers – such as the Syrian White Helmets – continue to be the subject of an extraordinary propaganda campaign. Instead of facts, this is dominated by fake news and a large dose of inhumanity. By Emran Feroz