Islam and Terrorism The Taliban The Taliban were the first major group in Afghanistan to move towards terrorism and religious dominance. They were established in the early 1990s, shortly after Russian troops pulled out of Afghanistan and the Cold War ended. They were primarily Pashtun (dominant ethnic group) and were preaching their own radical form of Sunni Islam. They carried out a type of militaristic dictatorship, with restrictions on almost everything in daily life. For example, 1. Men were required to grow beards, and 2. Women had to wear the burka, a garment that covers the entire body head to toe. The radical form of Sunni Islam they preached introduced or supported harsh punishment for going against what they believed, as well as outlawing Shi’a Islam, the minority. The Taliban ruled for about ten years, until the United States began bombing runs in Afghanistan after September 11th. Islam Both Sunni and Shi’a, or Shiite Muslims, believe in and respect the authority of the Quran (Koran), but vary in exact beliefs. Shi’a have a more formal clergy, while the Sunnis have no distinguishable leaders. They both, however, believe in the Five Pillars of Islam. The most typical time for prayer is at noon on a Friday, in a Mosque. This is where people gather together to pray. However, the most notable part of the religion is the month of Ramadan. In this month, the people celebrate and practice Islam by fasting, and it is an important social event as well. As far as death is concerned, the dead are buried almost immediately. They usually receive no more than a simple stone for a headstone, but some of the richer could have a tomb. For three days, people give condolences. On the 40th day, family meets at the tombstone to pray. Upon the 365th day, the family comes together again to officially mark the end of the mourning period. They believe that if the funeral is not carried out properly, a ghost will return to haunt the living. The Sunni muslims, being the majority, possess control in most of the areas that they occupy. They also are the group who dominates the political field, and generates the poor reputation with terrorism. The Taliban grew out from Sunni roots, and held a tight grasp on the Afghan world for a time, before the United States stepped in to uproot terrorism in the Middle East.