Knowing the Taliban: Power, Government, and People

Jalil Rawnaq, Amir Behnam | Translated by Kazim Ehsan and Maisam Iltaf

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The Taliban’s ultra-conservative and radical religious ideology, based on its own harsh interpretation of Islam, has largely defined the group’s worldview, behavior, and political aims. Although the group’s religious identity remains more prominent, the group’s tribal components, which influence i.e., power structures, have received little attention. The Taliban claims that the group’s religious ideology and political theology embrace non-Pashtuns, but the latter’s little presence within the Taliban’s high ranks remains rather symbolic than decisive.