In this episode, I'll be looking at 10 Facts about the Taliban that people definitely want
to know. Welcome back guys to FTD Facts. My name is Leroy Kenton, and with everything going on
with the country of Afghanistan, many of you have been requesting for us to do an episode about this.
So, you're going to want to stick around until the end so you don't miss any of the info shared
in this episode. Okay, starting at number 10 -The meaning of the name. I was surprised to learn that
they call themselves "students" or sometimes "seekers," and that's the exact translation of
the word Taliban from the Pashto language. A student is someone who's seeking knowledge.
Now the singular form, "Talib," meaning student, is an adopted word from the Arabic language, using the
Pashto plural ending in "an." The group took its name from its membership which consists largely
of students trained in Madrasahs, which are Islamic religious schools that had been established for
Afghan refugees in the 1980s in northern Pakistan. Now, for number 9, let's look at the formation
of the group. This political and religious faction emerged in Afghanistan in the mid-1990s. To be
more specific, in 1994, a man by the name of Mullah Mohammad Omar, a member of the Pashtun Tribe, formed
a group of nearly 50 followers. Mullah Omar himself, became a Mujahideen commander. The term "Mujahideen
or Mujahid," in a broad sense, means Muslims who fight on behalf of the faith or the
Muslim community. Now, Mullah Omar aimed to wage a war against the Soviets who were
forced out of Afghanistan in the year 1989. Following the withdrawal of the Soviet troops, the
collapse of Afghanistan's communist regime, and the subsequent breakdown in civil order, the country
fell into a civil war. And, Mullah Omar's followers were meant to fight the corruption and crime
that prevailed in Afghanistan during the Civil War in the post-Soviet period. The movement
promised to put Islamic values first and to battle the corruption that fueled all of the
fighting. This mission quickly attracted new followers and the group was generally welcomed
by the people. And these people, by the way, had lost belief in corrupt commanders and forces. Now,
the group in 1996 established the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan," making and enforcing laws based on
their interpretation of the Quran. For fact number 7, let's look at their control of Afghanistan.
So, by late 1996, the movement had made progress in controlling a large part of the country; however,
it would be very inaccurate to say that they controlled the entire country. In fact, in the
north, where many of the Mujahideen commanders had occupied, there remained strongholds of resistance.
And this resistance continued particularly among non-Pashtun ethnic groups like the Tajik,
the Uzbek, and the Hazara. And they resisted because they saw the Taliban as nothing more than a
continuation of the traditional Pashtun dominance of the country. So, pretty much, they viewed them as
a group that is just going to cause the same exact problems, but just under a different title. And by
the year 2001, the movement controlled all but a small section of northern Afghanistan. Next up, I
want to look at the role of women. The Taliban was founded on the ideology, stating that women should
play only the most limited roles in society. And the last time they had ruled, they barred women
and girls from most jobs and going to school. From the years 1996 - 2001, girls above the age of 8
were banned from receiving an education. It has also been said that women will be allowed to work
within the framework of Islam under the most recent regime, though. Under the first regime
however, women had to wear a burqa. They were also to be accompanied by male relatives outside of
their homes. Now, in the most recent regime, it is said that women will be able to wear the hijab
for safety and security in public. So, there's some modifications happening there in what the Taliban
is saying - that women are going to experience, as well as society on a whole. But before we continue
in the facts, I just wanted to take this time to mention our members who help support us every single month
with their financial contributions. Thank you guys so much. You allow us to continue to make videos
like this. And for those of you who are not members, that want to find out how you can become a member
and support us in producing these types of content, especially on topics like this, that may
get flagged on youtube. The link to that is below, in the video description section. With the rise in
censorship, it is becoming a lot more difficult to bring you guys videos like this. So, as always, your
support really really matters. So, moving on to number 5, end of the first regime. We all know
that there's huge controversy surrounding this, but it needs to be discussed. We will address this
issue very tastefully in presenting the facts, free from personal opinion. After the attacks in September
of 2001, United States President at the time, George W. Bush, vowed to win the war against terrorism. From
there, President George W. Bush signed into law, a "Joint Resolution," and this authorized
the use of force against anyone responsible for attacking the United States on September 11, 2001.
This Joint Resolution was later cited by the Bush administration, as a legal rationale for
its decision to invade Afghanistan. The end of the first Taliban regime in early December 2001,
is generally tied to when it is said that the Taliban surrendered Kandahar, and Mullah Omar
fled the city. Number 4, let's talk a little bit more about this new regime. We
touched on them a little bit, but there's some new information. So, on April 14, 2021, the current
U.S President Joe Biden, announced that "It's time to end America's longest war," and that all
remaining troops in Afghanistan would be withdrawn. From there, the Afghan government collapsed, as the
new regime took back Kabul, which is the capital of Afghanistan. And the leaders of the new regime said
that they would hold talks with Afghan officials to form an open, inclusive, Islamic, government.
See, like I mentioned, they want to implement certain changes in how they govern things.
From there, let's look at the fate of Mullah Omar. The head of the first regime, Mullah Omar fled and
went into hiding, as there was a 10 million dollar bounty that was being offered for his capture.
But in the year 2015, the Taliban, they officially confirmed that Mullah Omar had passed away saying
that, he had passed away more than two years ago, but he had always lived in Afghanistan, and never
fled into other countries. It was his eldest son, Mohammad Yaqoob, that said that his father died in
Afghanistan after suffering from Hepatitis C. And the new regime, they had released a photo of the
house in Afghanistan where they say that Mohammed Omar lived for years before his passing. Now, when
it comes to the head of the new regime, Haibatullah Akhunzada, who's known as the "Leader of the faithful."
This Islamic, legal scholar, is the Taliban Supreme Leader. Akhunzada, he took over when his predecessor,
Akhtar Mansour’s life was ended in a U.S drone strike near the Afghan-Pakistan border back in the
year 2016. And, the final fact I want to end this episode on, is why didn't Mohammad Yaqoob become
the leader of the Taliban? Well, this son of the regime founder, Mullah Omar, he actually oversees
the new regime's military operations. But as a son, it makes sense to question, "Why didn't he take on
the leadership role back in 2016, when the new successor was being chosen?" Well, he was proposed
to be the overall leader of the movement, but he personally recommended Haibatullah Akhunzada in 2016,
because he, himself, felt that he lacked the experience, and that he was too young for the
responsibility. And, that concludes this episode on 10 Surprising and Interesting Facts about
the Taliban. Hopefully you guys found this video informative, and educational, and useful. Definitely
want to know your thoughts and comments down below. And, if you haven't done so already, go ahead
and subscribe and ring the bell to be notified when new videos are posted. Alright guys, it was
awesome hanging out with you in this episode. Until next time, stay awesome, stay educated! See you soon.
you