History of Afghanistan WHAP/Napp
“Another related radical manifestation of Islam’s resurgence was the creation of theIslamic State of Afghanistan in 1996 by the Taliban movement. The Taliban emergedout of the disorder and devastation of the Afghan-Soviet war (1979-1988) and the later civil war. Promoting itself as a new force for unity and determinedto create an Islamic state according to its own austere interpretation of Islam,the Taliban proclaimed its followers the liberators who brought peace to Afghanistan. In that pursuit of the purest Muslim state on earth, Taliban intolerance figured prominently,and Islamist strictures quickly alienated people both inside and outsideAfghanistan. Dominated by Pashtuns – the majority ethnic group of Afghanistan – theTaliban under its leading mullah (male religious leader) Mohammed Omar fought aseries of holy wars against other ethnic and Muslim groups, such as Afghanistan’s Shiaminority. At the same time, the Taliban provided sanctuary and training grounds forIslamist fighters in southwest and central Asia, most notably for Osama bin Laden andal-Qaeda.
The Taliban espoused a strict brand of Islam that barred women from educationand the workplace. As all forms of European and American dress became taboo,women had to be completely veiled in burkas, and men had to eschew neckties andgrow full, untrimmed beards. The stringent form of Taliban-promoted Islam alsocalled for a ban on television, movie theaters, photographs, and most styles of music. Some of those rules had little to do with pure Islam, but a religious police, the Ministryof the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, enforced them with an extremelyharsh code of justice. The United Nations and most governments in the worldwithheld recognition of the Taliban asAfghanistan’s legitimate government. De jurerecognition came instead to a Taliban opposition force, the Northern Alliance, composedof the country’s smaller religious and ethnic groups, mainly Tajiks, Uzbeks,and Hazaras. The Northern Alliance became a crucial ally of the United States in itsmission to find and punish those responsible for the 11 September attacks.
When the United States government announced its war against global terrorism it also pointedly targeted ‘those harboring terrorists,’ that is, governments and statesthat supported and provided sanctuary for terrorists. The refusal of the Taliban governmentto surrender Osama bin Laden prompted the United States and its allies on7 October 2001 to begin military operations against Taliban military positions andterrorist training camps. The U.S. military and its international allies generally limitedtheir operations tointelligence missions and massive air strikes, fighting the waron the ground through Afghan proxies, most notably the forces of the Northern Alliance. By November, U.S.-led bombardments permitted Northern Alliance troopsto capture Kabul and other key Afghan cities. In a decisive military campaign, theUnited States’ coalition smashed both the Taliban and al-Qaeda. The war againstterrorism beyond Afghanistan, however, promised to be a long-term struggle necessitatinga great deal of international cooperation.” ~ Traditions and Encounters
1. Which country’s Taliban movement provided sanctuary to Islamic militants?(A) Afghanistan (C) Saudi Arabia
(B) Iraq (D) Syria / 2. Who orchestrated the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001?
(A) the Taliban (C) Mohammed Omar
(B) al Qaeda (D) Saudi Arabia
Key Words/ Questions / I. Essential Facts: Introduction to Afghanistan
A. Ethnically mixed population reflects location astride historic trade and
invasion routes leading through Central Asia
B. Pashtuns make up the largest ethnic group at 42%
C. Islamic country: 80% Sunni; the remainder is predominantly Shi’a
II. A Turbulent History
A. In 328 BCE, Alexander the Great entered territory, then part of Persian
Empire, and established a Hellenistic state in Bactria
B. Then invasions by Scythians, White Huns, and Turks
C. In 642 CE, Arabs invaded region and introduced Islam
D. Destructive Mongol invasion in 1219 led by Genghis Khan
E. Late 14th century, Tamerlane incorporated Afghanistan into his empire
F. In 1747, Ahmad Shah Durrani established his rule
G. 1800s: collision between British Empire and czarist Russia influenced
Afghanistan in what was termed “The Great Game”
H. Two Anglo-Afghan wars but in a third war, war-weary British
relinquished control by signing Treaty of Rawalpindi in August 1919
I. King Amanullah (1919-1929) moved to modernize the nation
J. King alienated tribal leaders and was forced to abdicate
K. Mohammad Zahir Shah succeeded to throne, reigned from 1933 to 1973
L. Amid charges of corruption, former Prime Minister Daoud seized power
in a military coup on July 17, 1973 and abolished the monarchy
M. But On April 27, 1978, communist PDPA (People’s Democratic Party of
Afghanistan) initiated a bloody coup
N. But even with Soviet support, the Communist program alienated
traditional Afghans
III. A Long and Bloody Conflict
A. Afghan fighters (mujahideen) immediately fought the communists
B. By 1984, mujahideen received assistance from the U.S. (Cold War)
C. The Soviet withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989
D. Civil war continued after Soviet withdrawal in 1989
IV. The Taliban
A. Many Taliban had been educated in madrassas in Pakistan
B. By end of 1998, the Taliban occupied about 90% of the country
C. Imposed an extreme interpretation of Islam
D. Human rights violations, particularly directed against women and girls
E. In 2001, the Taliban destroyed two huge Buddha statues carved into a
cliff face outside of the city of Bamiyan
F. Provided sanctuary to Osama bin Laden
G. After September 11, 2001, the US invaded Afghanistan
H. The Taliban disintegrated rapidly and Kabul fell on November 13, 2001
I. Afghan factions opposed to Taliban met at a United Nations conference
and agreed to restore stability and governance to Afghanistan
J. The “Loya Jirga” (Grand Council) decided on government structure
K. However, the Taliban continues to fight to regain power
- Which of the following statements is not true of modern terrorism?
(B)Modern terrorists use sophisticated modern weapons and technologies.
(C)Modern terrorists are not confined to any one state and operate effectively across borders.
(D)Modern terrorists have been largely successful in achieving their political objectives.
(E)All of the above statements about terrorism are true.
- The perceived grievances of al-Qaeda against the United States and its allies include all of the following except
(B)The presence of American troops in the holy land of Saudi Arabia.
(C)U.S. failure to support the mujahideen in their war against the Soviet Union.
(D)U.S. sanctions against Iraq.
(E)All of the above are grievances of al-Qaeda.
3. What factor gave Britain justification for interfering in Egyptian politics in the late 1800s?
(A) Lawrence of Arabia’s military campaigns there
(B) Its control over Palestine
(C) Its archaeological expeditions
(D) Its majority of shares in the ownership of the Suez Canal
(E) Queen Victoria’s marriage to an Egyptian prince / 4. The regime of the Iranian Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was overthrown because
A) He alienated conservative Shia Muslims with his secular reforms.
B) He used CIA money to suppress all dissent.
C) He allowed western corporations to dominate the economy.
D) All of the above.
E) A and b, not c.
5. What is the largest ethnic group of Afghanistan?
(A) Pashtun
(B) Tajik
(C) Hazara
(D) Aimak
(E) None of the above
6. Which religion do most Afghans follow?
(A) Christianity
(B) Islam
(C) Hinduism
(D) Judaism
(E) None of the above
7. Which of the following ideas was given to Muslims on the authority of the Qur'an?
(A) All earthly existence is merely an illusion.
(B) Muhammad is God.
(C) The soul may be reborn in another earthly form after the death of the individual.
(D) Moses and Jesus were both great prophets sent by God for the benefit of humanity.
(E) The cow is a sacred animal, and the eating of beef is therefore a sacrilegious and impure act.
Change over Time Essay Prompt:
Analyze changes and continuities in Afghanistan from 640 C.E. to 2015 C.E.
______
The End of the Cold War
“By the 1980s, reforms began a process ending in the disintegrationof the Soviet empire and the end of communism in eastern Europe. Conservative anduntalented Soviet leaders were unable to solve growing problems. To counter the threat ofIslamic fervor unleashed by the Iranian Revolution, the Soviets in 1979 invaded Afghanistanand became caught in an unpopular and expensive war. Western Europe’s successful economyput Communism on the defensive in eastern Europe. China demonstrated how a Communistauthoritarian nation could flourish by joining the international economy. The United Statesincreased its pressure on the Soviets by large increases in military spending and interventions infavor of anti-Marxist regimes.”
The Great Powers and New Disputes
“The United States became the sole superpower, whileRussia’s power dramatically declined. Other nations were unhappy with the new single-powerdominance, but efforts at alliances did not change the situation. The United States pushed itspolitical and economic model, and worked against potential threats from smaller nations. Itintervened in regional conflicts, as in the Persian Gulf War of 1991 and in the Balkans. Theterrorist attacks on the United States in 2001 raised new issues. The United States responded bychanging the Islamic fundamentalist regime in Afghanistan.” ~ World Civilizations
How did politics in Afghanistan affect the Soviet Union and the United States? ______
True or False: Write a T or F next to each sentence.
- Islam entered Afghanistan in 642 C.E.
- Due to its location astride the crossroads of trade, Afghanistan experienced many invasions.
- The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to prop up a weak Afghani communist regime
- The mujahideen were pro-Marxist fighters funded by the Soviets to overthrow a capitalist regime.
- Cold War politics did not affect Afghanistan.
- The Taliban imposed a strict interpretation of Islam on Afghanistan and violated the human rights of Afghani women.
- The Taliban harbored Osama bin Laden.
- The United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to overthrow a Marxist regime.
- Afghanistan still experiences civil conflict between Taliban and democracy groups.
- The dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan is the Pashtun ethnic group.