The Taliban or Taleban, who refer to themselves as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), are a Sunni Islamic fundamentalist political movement and military organization in Afghanistan currently waging war (an insurgency, or jihad) within that country. The Taliban emerged in the early 1990s in northern Pakistan following the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan. Many of its founding members were former mujahideen fighters and religious students (“talib” means “student” in Pashto) who studied in traditional Islamic schools.
By 1996, the Taliban had captured Kabul and established the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.” Under their rule, they enforced a strict interpretation of Islamic law, severely restricting women’s rights, limiting education, and imposing harsh punishments. They also harbored terrorist organizations, most notably al-Qaeda, which culminated in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. The group gained prominence by promising to restore order, enforce Islamic law, and eliminate corruption in war-torn Afghanistan.
