Afghanistan: Why is it so tough to defeat the Taliban?

 Afghanistan: Why is it so tough to defeat the Taliban?

Because the Taliban is an ideology rather than just a movement, organisation, or group.

Most of the founding Taliban militants were ethnic Pashtuns who received their education at ultra-conservative madrassas in rural Afghanistan and Pakistan. They gradually developed their own understanding of Islam, incorporating right-wing religious nationalism, Pashtun traditions, ethnic nationalism, and literalist interpretation. The Taliban viewed their ideology as the "Real Islam." And those who didn't adhere to the "Real Islam" were to be treated in accordance with that.

In largely rural Pashtun areas, the Taliban got involved in local councils and sharia courts to start their political mission. They felt that restoration of tradition, "good government," and stability was necessary. As their influence increased, they became

The Taliban's problem, though, is that their ideology is not wholly based on Islam and Islamic law. Many of their fundamental principles, which they attempted to pass off as "Islamic," were actually derived from Pashtun customs and beliefs. And because of this, they have consistently run into strong opposition, particularly from Tajiks & Hazaras. They were utterly unfamiliar with many of the Taliban's methods, and they had no desire to participate.

"The Taliban's actions and fanatical attitudes have nothing to do with Islam in any manner. We continue to fight Islam's radical tendencies as we have done in the past. A. Shah Massoud

But the Taliban's ideas and support spread like wildfire. Many parents eventually came to view the Taliban as a genuine movement capable of preserving the country's stability as thousands of parents sent their kids to attend school in Taliban-run Madrassas.

Obviously, I'm not saying all of this to imply that all Afghans back the Taliban. Although it is simple to fight against a well-organized group, it is much harder to fight against an ideology. Simply by killing one Taliban member, you encourage another Taliban supporter to join the group. And as it has for the past 30 years, the cycle keeps going.