Re: Taliban collapse

A couple of things to keep in mind ...

(1) The sharia imposed by the Taliban is substantially 
more heavy handed than the one that Afghanis are accustomed 
to.

(2) The Taliban seemed to have governed in cities as an 
enemy of urban culture.

An extremely puritanical interpretation of a religion 
can be appealing to those looking for certain and clear 
answers to complex problems.  However, it should not 
surprise us if the experience of living under the 
puritanical interpretation (together with what will have 
been an accumulation of ad hoc stories of hypocrisy) 
palls over time.

Two questions are whether what seems to be the Taliban's 
unpopularity in the cities will translate into unpopularity 
in the countryside in the southern part of the country, 
and whether down the track the Taliban can attract any 
support from neighboring countries looking to cover all 
the bases or, in Pakistan's case, mollify a vociferious 
radical local opposition.


Virtually,

Bruce McFarling, Shortland, NSW
ecbm@cc.newcastle.edu.au