The Taliban: Ascent to Power

Many hold the view that Islam discourages freedom of thought and action. This seems to be borne out by common perception which sees Muslims as fundamentalist, radical and militant. In this book, M. J. Gohari describes the rise of a controversial movement which has been widely criticized by the west: the Taliban in Afghanistan. Dr Gohari describes the historical background of the movement in Afghanistan, outlines the context for rapid ascent to power of the Taliban, explains what the movement stands for, and analyses how it affects various groups in Afghan society. He also discusses the impact of the Taliban on Afghanistan’s neighbours and what he calls ‘the Taliban-UN dilemma’. Gohari concludes with a short chapter on the life and views of Bin Laden, which serves to demystify that elusive radical.