The Tragic Consequences of Extremism and Tribalism in the Taliban’s Vision for Afghanistan

The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan has been watched closely by African insurgents. Image credit goes to EPA

Following their takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban published a report outlining their plans to reform the educational curriculum. Unfortunately, the Taliban’s vision for education is based on an extremist and primitive interpretation of Islamic law, which promotes a narrow understanding of history, universal values, and human relationships. The Taliban is a radical Islamist group that combines religious fundamentalism under the banner of “Islamism” with tribal cultural characteristics known as “Afghanyat.” Despite their Islamist ideology, the Taliban greatly emphasize their ethnic and social affiliations and expect others to do the same. Their concept of Afghanyat is based on the tribal culture and social relations in Pashtun neighborhoods and villages. However, many Taliban leaders have no direct experience with their villages and tribal communities and may rely solely on their imagination to shape their understanding of these issues.

Radical Islamist groups like the Taliban have a distinct and unique narrative of history, dividing the world into “good” (themselves) and “evil” (others). These “others” include non-Islamic countries, human rights, values, and achievements. In the eyes of Islamist hardliners, pre-Islamic monuments are unwanted and should be destroyed, as…