Taliban
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The Taliban's war on women
Since seizing power in mid-2021, the Taliban have continued to restrict the rights of Afghan women and girls. At the end of 2022, they banned women from attending higher education. By Nele Jensch
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"Not our Islam!"
German imams condemn ban on university education for Afghan women
German imams have publicly expressed their solidarity with the women of Afghanistan. In a letter of protest, the clerics say that the Taliban regime's decree barring women from universities cannot be justified by Islam and is even "in fatal contradiction" to the religion
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Protests in Iran
Rethinking Sharia and democracy
According to a recent survey, half of all Iranians say that they have left Islam as a religion, while two-thirds believe Islamic law should be excluded from their legal system. In the following essay, Ahmet T. Kuru explores the implications
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Afghanistan under the Taliban
"Girls continue to attend our schools"
Education for girls and women is still possible in Afghanistan, says Reinhard Eroes of the Kinderhilfe Afghanistan initiative. In interview with Elisa Rheinheimer, he talks about skewed media portrayals, the great hunger gripping the country and why aid organisations should return
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Extortion and intimidation in Swat Valley
Pakistan Taliban racketeering hits borderlands
A lawmaker in Pakistan's rugged northwest was sipping tea with voters when his phone chirped to life – the Taliban were calling with a demand for 'donations'. "We hope you won't disappoint" read the chilling text from a shady go-between of the Pakistan chapter of the Islamists, known as Tehreek–e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
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"The Lionesses of Afghanistan"
No more 'white saviours', please
Journalist Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi was forced to flee Afghanistan with her family as a child and grew up in Germany. To mark the publication of her book "The Lionesses of Afghanistan", she spoke to Qantara.de about growing up between two cultures, her focus on Afghan women and the media's distorted view of the country. Interview by Schayan Riaz
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Confessions of an ex-jihadist
What makes someone a jihadist?
Charting his own descent into extremism, former Moroccan jihadist Adil El Hasani reveals how he was ultimately able to extricate himself from the grasp of those peddling religious illusions. Mohamed Taifouri read the book
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Protests in Iran
On the eve of a new world era?
Just as the Islamic Revolution fundamentally changed Iran 43 years ago and had an impact far beyond the country's borders, the current wave of protests sweeping the country is set to change more than just Iran. The era of political Islam is coming to an end. By Ali Sadrzadeh
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Afghanistan under the Taliban
Back to the past
One year ago the Taliban returned to power, seizing Kabul; the U.S. and its allies made a panicked exit from the country. Of all the books written on the subject, four stand out from the crowd. By Tobias Matern
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Geopolitics and jihadism
Biden’s dangerous embrace of Pakistan
The Biden administration could have used Pakistan’s economic crisis to compel the country to sever its longstanding ties to terrorist groups. Instead, the U.S. protects and rewards it, putting short-term geopolitical considerations ahead of long-term interests. Commentary by Indian analyst Brahma Chellaney
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Afghan refugee confronts his past
"Flee", one man's story
Jonas Poher Rasmussen's Oscar-nominated animated documentary “Flee” focuses on the life of a refugee from Afghanistan. Based on a true story, it centres around the question: when does flight end? By Jane Esher
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Islam in Pakistan
The land of the Sufis
No country in the Islamic world is influenced as strongly by the traditions of Sufi culture as Pakistan. Yet the Sufis there have been under attack from Islamic hardliners for years. By Marian Brehmer