by Ahmed Rashid
All family elders and every Muslim have responsibility in this respect. We request all family elders to keep tight control over their families and avoid these social problems. Otherwise these women will be threatened, investigated and severely punished as well as the family elders by the forces of the Religious Police (Munkrat).
The Religious Police (Munkrat)have the responsibility and duty to struggle against these social problems and will continue their effort until evil is finished.
2.
Rules of work for the State Hospitals and private clinics based on Islamic Sharia principles. Ministry of Health, on behalf of Amir ul Momineen Mullah Mohammed Omar. Kabul, November 1996.
1. Female patients should go to female physicians. In case a male physician is needed, the female patient should be accompanied by her close relative.
2. During examination, the female patients and male physicians both should be dressed with Islamic hijab(veil).
3. Male physicians should not touch or see the other parts of female patients except for the affected part.
4. Waiting room for female patients should be safely covered.
5. The person who regulates turn for female patients should be a female.
6. During the night duty, in what rooms which female patients are hospitalized, the male doctor without the call of the patient is not allowed to enter the room.
7. Sitting and speaking between male and female doctors are not allowed, if there be need for discussion, it should be done with hijab.
8. Female doctors should wear simple clothes, they are not allowed to wear stylish clothes or use cosmetics or make-up.
9. Female doctors and nurses are not allowed to enter the rooms where male patients are hospitalised.
10. Hospital staff should pray in mosques on time.
11. The Religious Police are allowed to go for control at any time and nobody can prevent them.
Anybody who violates the order will be punished as per Islamic regulations.
3.
General Presidency of Amr Bil Maruf. Kabul, December 1996.
1. To prevent sedition and female uncovers (Be Hejabi). No drivers are allowed to pick up women who are using Iranian burqa.In case of violation the driver will be imprisoned. If such kind of female are observed in the street their house will be found and their husband punished. If the women use stimulating and attractive cloth and there is no accompany of close male relative with them, the drivers should not pick them up.
2. To prevent music. To be broadcasted by the public information resources. In shops, hotels, vehicles and rickshaws cassettes and music are prohibited. This matter should be monitored within five days. If any music cassette found in a shop, the shopkeeper should be imprisoned and the shop locked. If five people guarantee the shop should be opened the criminal released later. If cassette found in the vehicle, the vehicle and the driver will be imprisoned. If five people guarantee the vehicle will be released and the criminal released later.
3. To prevent beard shaving and its cutting. After one and a half months if anyone observed who has shaved and/or cut his beard, they should be arrested and imprisoned until their beard gets bushy.
4. To prevent keeping pigeons and playing with birds. Within ten days this habit/hobby should stop. After ten days this should be monitored and the pigeons and any other playing birds should be killed.
5. To prevent kite-flying. The kite shops in the city should be abolished.
6. To prevent idolatory. In vehicles, shops, hotels, room and any other place pictures/ portraits should be abolished. The monitors should tear up all pictures in the above places.
7. To prevent gambling. In collaboration with the security police the main centres should be found and the gamblers imprisoned for one month.
8. To eradicate the use of addiction. Addicts should be imprisoned and investigation made to find the supplier and the shop. The shop should be locked and the owner and user should be imprisoned and punished.
9. To prevent the British and American hairstyle. People with long hair should be arrested and taken to the Religious Police department to shave their hair. The criminal has to pay the barber.
10. To prevent interest on loans, charge on changing small denomination notes and charge on money orders. All money exchangers should be informed that the above three types of exchanging the money should be prohibited. In case of violation criminals will be imprisoned for a long time.
11. To prevent washing cloth by young ladies along the water streams in the city. Violator ladies should be picked up with respectful Islamic manner, taken to their houses and their husbands severely punished.
12. To prevent music and dances in wedding parties. In the case of violation the head of the family will be arrested and punished.
13. To prevent the playing of music drum. The prohibition of this should be announced. If anybody does this then the religious elders can decide about it.
14. To prevent sewing ladies cloth and taking female body measures by tailor. If women or fashion magazines are seen in the shop the tailor should be imprisoned.
15. To prevent sorcery. All the related books should be burnt and the magician should be imprisoned until his repentance.
16. To prevent not praying and order gathering pray at the bazaar. Prayer should be done on their due times in all districts. Transportation should be strictly prohibited and all people are obliged to go to the mosque. If young people are seen in the shops they will be immediately imprisoned.
Appendix 2
Structure of the
Taliban
The Taliban leader is Mullah Mohammed Omar, also known as the Amirul Momineen, or Commander of the Faithful. A ten-member interim ruling council or Supreme Shura is the most powerful ruling body and is based in Kandahar. Two committees report to this Shura. The first is an interim cabinet or Kabul Shura. The second is a Military Shura.
SUPREME SHURA OF THE TALIBAN'S FOUNDING
MEMBERS, KANDAHAR 1994–1997
Mullah Mohammed Omar. Amirul Momineen. Leader of the Faithful. Head of Taliban Movement.
* * *
Mullah Mohammed Rabbani Akhund Chairman Ruling Council and Deputy Head of Taliban
* * *
Mullah Mohammed Ghaus Akhund. Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs until June 1997
Mullah Mohammed Hassan Akhund Military Chief of Staff
Mullah Mohammed Fazil Akhund Head of the Army Corps
Mullah Abdul Razaq Head of Customs Department
Mullah Sayed Ghiasuddin Agha Acting Minister of Information
Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwa Acting Minister of the Interior
Maulvi Abdul Sattar Sanani Acting Chief Justice of Afghanistan.
Maulvi Ehsanullah Ehsan Governor State Bank
Mullah Abdul Jalil Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs after June 1997
* * *
MILITARY COMMAND STRUCTURE OF THE TALIBAN: MILITARY SHURA
* * *
Commander in Chief: Mullah Mohammed Omar
Military Chief of Staff: Mullah Mohammed Hassan
Chief of Army Staff: Mullah Rahmatullah Akhund
Head of the Army Corps: Mullah Mohammed Fazil
Army Division chief: Mullah Jumma Khan
Army Division chief: Mullah Mohammed Younas
Army Division chief: Mullah Mohammed Gul
Army Division chief: Mullah Mohammed Aziz Khan
Armoured Force No.4: Mullah Mohammed Zahir
KABUL SHURA OF ACTING MINISTERS 2000
* * *
Mullah Wakil Ahmed Mutawakkil Foreign Minister
Mullah Mohammed Abbas Akhund Public Health
Mullah Abdur Razzaq Interior
Mullah Obaidullah Akhund Construction
Mullah Tahir Anwari Finance
Mullah Qodratullah Information and Culture
Mullah Abdul Latif Mansur Agriculture
Mullah Mohammed Essa Water and Power
Maulana Ahmadullah Muti Communications
Mullah Nuruddin Turabi Justice
Maulvi Hamdullah Numani Higher Education
Maulvi Ahmad Jan Mines and Industries
Maulvi Jalaluddin Haqqani Frontier Affairs
Maulana Abdur Razzaq Commerce
Qari Din Mohammed Planning
* * *
Appendix 3
A CHRONOLOGY OF
THE TALIBAN
1992
April Afghanistan and Kabul fall to the Mujaheddin as President Najibullah seeks shelter in UN compound in Kabul.
1993
Bitter fighting between President Rabbani and Gulbuddin Hikmetyar leaves 10,000 civilians dead.
1994
January. Factional fighting reduces Kabul to rubble as Dostum and Hikmetyar attack Kabul.
February. UN appoints Mehmoud Mestiri to head Special Mission to Afghanistan. Pakistan Embassy in Kabul sacked.
October. Six Western ambassadors in Islamabad accompany Pakistan Interior Minister Naseerullah Babar to Herat to meet Ismael Khan.
28 October. PM Benazir Bhutto meets Ismael Khan and Dostum in Ashkhabad.
4 November. A 30-truck Pakistani convoy to Central Asia waylaid by war-lords near Kandahar, 20 dead in fighting. Taliban emerge.
5 November. Taliban take control of Kandahar and free convoy. Fifty dead in four days of clashes.
25 November. Taliban take control of two southern provinces, Lashkargarh and Helmand.
1995
1 January. 3,000 Pakistani Taliban from Peshawar leave for Afghanistan.
2 February. Taliban move into Wardak province, 25 miles from Kabul.
11 February. Taliban capture Logar province. Nine provinces out of 30 captured by Taliban. President Rabbani sends delegation to meet Taliban.
14 February. Taliban take Charasyab and Hikmetyar flees without a fight.
18 February. Taliban put three conditions on joining possible interim government, neutral force made up of Taliban, only good Muslims will participate and all 30 provinces must be represented.
7 March. Taliban advance on Nimroz, Farah, try to capture Herat. Taliban move into south Kabul as Hazaras vacate their positions.
11 March. Masud attacks Taliban near Kabul. Taliban pushed back to Charasyab.
13 March. Hazara leader Abdul Ali Mazari captured by Taliban and dies in helicopter crash while being taken to Kandahar by Taliban. Taliban take Farah.
4 April. Taliban capture part of Shindand airbase near Herat.
29 March. Government forces push back Taliban 80 miles from Shindand.
12 May. Taliban pushed out of Farah.
31 May. Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki visits Kabul and Kandahar.
10 July. Deputy chief of Saudi intelligence tours Afghan cities in peace mission, meets with Taliban.
2 September. Taliban retake Farah, heavy fighting close to Shindand.
3 September. Taliban capture Shindand. Kabul reshuffles military command and demotes Ismael Khan as troops airlifted into Herat.
5 September. Taliban capture Herat. Ismael Khan flees to Iran without a fight.
6 September. Pakistan embassy in Kabul sacked and burnt down. Iran warns Taliban not to cross Iranian border.
10 October. Taliban shift 400 tanks to Kabul from Kandahar, prepare for assault on city.
11 October. Taliban begin major attack and recapture Charasyab.
11 November. Kabul rocketed by Taliban. Thirty-six killed, 52 wounded in worst day of rocketing by Taliban.
26 November. Worst ever bombing of Kabul by Taliban. Thirty-nine civilians dead, 140 wounded. Government forces push back Taliban from Kabul.
1996
3 March. Rabbani starts visit to Iran, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
20 March. Taliban Shura meets in Kandahar with 1,000 ulemaand tribal elders to discuss policy.
4 April. Taliban Shura ends, calls for jihad against Rabbani. Mullah Omar made Amirul Momineen.
19 April. Senior US diplomats meet Afghan leaders in Kabul and Kandahar.
23 May. UN envoy Mestiri resigns for health reasons.
26 June. Hikmetyar joins Rabbani and becomes Prime Minister. Taliban rocket Kabul, 52 dead.
11 July. German diplomat Norbert Holl appointed as UN envoy to Afghanistan.
4 September. Afghan women in Kabul protest Taliban excesses.
10 September. Taliban capture two districts in Nangarhar. Haji Qadeer flees to Pakistan, heavy fighting near Jalalabad.
11 September. Taliban capture Jalalabad.
25 September. Taliban capture Sarobi and Assadabad.
26 September. From Sarobi, Taliban move to Kabul in one night. Fighting outside city. Kabul falls to Taliban.
27 September. Taliban hang Najibullah. Masud retreats northwards. Mullah Omar declares amnesty and six-man council to run Kabul headed by Mullah Mohammed Rabbani. Iran, Russia, India and Central Asian states condemn Taliban takeover. Pakistan sends delegation to Kabul.
1 October. Taliban tells Masud in the Panjshir to surrender or die. Masud blows up roads into Panjshir as Taliban advance north. Taliban reach Salang tunnel, stand-off with Dostum troops.
4 October. CIS summit in Almaty warns Taliban to keep away from Central Asia.
8 October. Heavy fighting as Taliban try to take Panjshir. Pakistan starts shuttle diplomacy.
10 October. Dostum, Masud and Khalili meet at Khin Jan and form Supreme Council for the Defence of the Motherland. Masud attacks Bagram with 50 men and counter-attacks on Salang highway.
12 October. Masud takes Jabul Seraj.
13 October. Masud recaptures Charikar. Fighting just ten miles from Kabul, hundreds of casualties.
18 October. Bagram falls to Masud as Taliban flee. Dostum armour arrives to help Masud.
24 October. Mullah Omar says, 'We will fight to the death and give our last drop of blood for Kabul.' Masud demands demilitarization of Kabul. Taliban capture Baghdis province in heavy fighting with Dostum forces.
31 October. Ismael Khan troops flown from Iran to Maimana to resist Taliban in west.
1997
1 January. Taliban retake Bagram and Charikar, major set-back for Masud.
23 January. Taliban retake Gulbahar at mouth of Salang.
2 February. Hazaras reinforce defences of Bamiyan as Taliban advance via Ghorband valley. Taliban delegation visits USA.
12 March. Assassination attempt on Mullah Abdul Razaq, Governor of Herat.
19May. General Malik Pahlawan rebels against Dostum, takes Faryab and says he has joined Taliban.
20 May. Baghdis, Faryab, Sar-e-Pul provinces fall to Malik, heavy fighting. Malik hands over 700 prisoners and Ismael Khan to Taliban.
24 May. Taliban sweep into Mazar, impose Sharia and close girls schools.
26 May. Pakistan recognizes Taliban government. Talks in Mazar between Taliban and Malik break down. Fighting starts.
28 May. Taliban driven out of Mazar after 18-hour battle and 300 Taliban dead. Thousands captured. Masud counter-attacks in south.
2 June. Taliban close Iranian Embassy in Kabul. Thousands of Pakistani students join Taliban. Opposition forms new alliance in Mazar.
12 June. Some 3,000 Taliban disarmed in Baghlan. Masud retakes Jabel Seraj. Rabbani meets Malik in Mazar. Opposition forms United Islamic and National Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan.
19 July. Masud takes Bagram and Charikar. Taliban flee leaving heavy weapons.
21 July. Malik in Iran for talks.
28 July. UN appoints Lakhdar Brahimi to prepare report on Afghanistan. Heavy fighting continues around Kabul.
7 August. ICRC says 6,800 people have been wounded in fighting over last three months. CARE suspends women's programmes in Kabul.
12 August. Opposition meeting in Mazar leads to Rabbani reappointed as President.
15 August. Lakhdar Brahami arrives in Islamabad for extensive trip to region. 19 August. Brahimi visits Kandahar. Taliban warn foreign press to report fairly or be thrown out.
4 September. Mullah Rabbani meets Kin
g Fahd in Jeddah and says Saudis will help Taliban in health and education. Taliban accuse Iran, Russia and France of helping Masud.
8 September. Taliban recapture Mazar airport after renewed attack from Taliban force from Kunduz. Uzbeks divided between Malik and Dostum.
9 September. Malik leaves Mazar as home burnt down by Hizb-e-Wahadat, extensive looting in city as UN agencies leave. Taliban pushed back from airport.
12 September. Dostum arrives back in Mazar from Turkey. Taliban kill 70 Hazara villagers in Qazil Abad. After three days of looting order in Mazar, peace restored as Taliban pushed back and Dostum rallies troops.
18 September. Heavy fighting again near Mazar. Taliban say King Fahd will give full financial and political backing to them.
23 September. Taliban bomb Bamiyan heavily. Fighting ten miles from Mazar.
28 September. Emma Bonino arrested in Kabul and held by Taliban for three hours with 19 other EC delegates.
30 September. Three UN workers expelled from Kandahar by Taliban.
1 October. Brahimi completes mission after visiting 13 countries. Heavy fighting continues around Mazar.
8 October. Dostum pushes Taliban back to Kunduz. Kabul rejects transit trade agreement with Pakistan.
21 October. Dostum seizes Shebarghan as Malik flees to Iran.
16 November. Dostum uncovers 2,000 dead bodies of Taliban in 30 mass graves near Shebarghan, offers to return bodies to Taliban. Prisoner exchanges take place.
18 November. US Secretary Madeleine Albright in Pakistan calls Taliban human rights 'despicable'.
26 November. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan issues tough UN report on outside interference in Afghanistan.