Afghanistan'sPresident Ashraf Ghani has left the country with his core team on Sunday asTaliban terrorists entered capital Kabul. A senior interior ministry officialtold in an interview the Taliban rebels were coming "from all sides" into thecapital but gave no further details. There were no reports of fighting.
The United Statesevacuated diplomats from its embassy by helicopter and a government ministersaid power would be handed over to an interim administration.
Taliban spokesmanZabihullah Mujahid said in a statement that the group was in talks with thegovernment for a peaceful surrender of Kabul.
"Talibanfighters are to be on standby on all entrances of Kabul until a peaceful andsatisfactory transfer of power is agreed," the statement said. The entryinto the capital caps a lightning advance by Taliban who were ousted from Kabul20 years ago by the United States after the September 11 attacks.
Whoare Taliban?
Taliban is anextremist group believably depending on Soviet Union-era arms and opiumsmuggling to maintain their supremacy. There is commitment derived from aparticular religion, pride and self-belief which has made the group stronger,making them the cause of concern of several nations.
Taliban in the Pashtolanguage means group of students. The group emerged in northern Pakistan afterthe withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in the early 1990s.
Initially, Talibanwere predominantly from Pashtun-speaking groups. They are Sunni Muslims, andthe majority of them have had theological training in Madrasas or Islamicseminaries. For them, the manner of life should be by their interpretation ofIslam, which differs from other groups in Afghanistan and Muslims across theworld.
Taliban’sinterpretation of Islam is quite strict, refusing to take changing socialreality into account. Their social, political, and economic systems are allbased on Islamic values. Several modern Islamic intellectuals have expressedtheir criticism to such an interpretation of religion, calling it destructiveto the worldwide image of Islam.
Taliban advocate forsevere punishments such as public executions for convicted murderers andadulterers, as well as amputations for those found guilty of stealing.
During the priorregime, men were obliged to grow beards and women were required to wear theall-covering burqa, but now many Muslim-majority countries no longer have theselaws in effect. Some nations, such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, which haveSharia-based laws, have also condemned the Taliban's way of life.
Their objection toschools for girls beyond the age of ten, the prohibition of music, and a slewof other human rights violations made them a vile group of extremists.
Why is Afghanistanworried?
The majority of Afghans who areeducated and live in cities are concerned. Many of them had sighed with reliefand fantasized about a future Afghanistan that would be free from the threat ofTaliban.
Talibanhad always threatened to return to power once foreign forces leave and now withthe US withdrawal, they are standing at the gates of Kabul.
Afghansnow worry that the Taliban will destroy the country once again and there willbe more bloodshed as it may target supporters of the democratically electedAfghan government as well as foreign troops attempting to keep the peace.