As the war in Ukraine continues and the Israel-Hamas conflict heats up, it’s easy to forget about other, older conflicts—namely Taliban rule in Afghanistan. As complete Taliban control of the territory approaches its 3rd anniversary, it’s important to be aware of what’s going on to keep the Taliban government accountable, as well as reflect on the many mistakes made and the hundreds of thousands killed.

The US in Afghanistan

The United States’s war in Afghanistan started on October 7th, 2001, when US forces began a bombing campaign against the Taliban in retaliation for 9/11. US forces quickly gained control of much of northern Afghanistan, driving Taliban forces to southern Afghanistan and Pakistan. For the vast majority of US occupation in Afghanistan, the fighting had ended in stalemate: the only change was the rising number of civilian casualties, which reached a peak of over 10,000 yearly civilian deaths in 2018. After many years of fighting, the US and the Taliban signed a peace deal called the Doha Agreement in 2020, promising US troop withdrawal in exchange for assurance of no harbor given to terrorists. However, the fighting continued, as did civilian deaths (this time due to drone strikes), until the US withdrew in 2021. The withdrawal was immediately followed by a Taliban blitz across the state in a matter of days, leading to crowds at Afghanistan airports as they attempted to evacuate the country. Mass surrenders from the Afghan military culminated in a complete Taliban takeover in two weeks.

Taliban Background

So who exactly are the Taliban? What do they represent? The Taliban started in the 1990s as an ultraconservative Islamic group of students. Their ideology quickly gained traction and soon, people were joining the Taliban’s growing paramilitary force. By 1996, the Taliban had captured all of Afghanistan and rebuilt the government. The new regime quickly rolled out extreme policies that severely restricted women's rights and cracked down on political opponents and minorities. Even minor crimes were punishable by execution and amputation, and watching television and cinema or listening to music was banned entirely. Women couldn’t go to school, had to wear burqas, and couldn’t travel without a male chaperone. On a local level, the Taliban was much harsher to women, and most were forced to stay at home, some facing domestic violence and no way to report it. Although initially popular due to their mostly successful anti-corruption policies, the 90s Taliban administration soon lost favor due to the extremity of the policies. The government of today’s Afghanistan is similar, albeit more moderate.

Afghanistan Today

After the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan changed in many ways. Although some, such as reducing opium poppy growth and stabilizing the economy, have been positive, the Taliban is quickly returning to its 1996 authoritarian policies without media attention. Secondary school and work are banned for women, who now need to be supervised when they go outside. Schools are quickly being replaced with Madrassas, which teach a Taliban version of Islam. However, many women aren’t staying quiet. Even in the face of violence and death, they’ve taken to the streets in protest and written letters and books about their experience, calling attention to the Taliban's inhumanity. Many people worldwide are also lobbying for the international community to recognize and condemn the Taliban government. If you want to help, you can donate to one of the many humanitarian organizations involved. The UN’s Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (https://crisisrelief.un.org/t/afghanistan) is one such organization I recommend.

The Taliban, despite its improvements, are still the misogynistic, extremist organization that they were in 1996. Though they claim otherwise, they have done so much to undermine basic human rights for half of their population. However, it is important to remember that Afghanistan is not a black box. Like other conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine, we can still change Afghanistan’s story from one of loss and discrimination to one of hope.