Taliban fighters stand guard in Kunduz city, northern Afghanistan, on Aug. 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Abdullah Sahil)

       The Mainichi Shimbun answers some common questions readers may have about the Taliban, which has recently taken power again in Afghanistan.

       Question: Let's go from the start. When was the Taliban founded?

       Answer: The Taliban was a militant group formed in 1994 mainly by theological students studying Islam in Afghanistan during a civil war. The Arabic word "taliban" means religious students, and the group was welcomed at the time as a movement to improve the world. It established a ruling administration in 1996.

       Q: What kind of government was it?

       A: The Taliban pursued Islamic fundamentalist policies based on Islamic law. It banned alcohol, music and even blocked education for women. It was criticized for destroying Buddha statues in the country's Bamyan province in March 2001 on the basis that it forbids the worship of idols. But the administration collapsed after the U.S. military attacked the group on the grounds that it sheltered international militant group al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in the wake of 9/11.

       Q: Why has the group conquered the country again this time?

       A: After the administration's collapse, the Taliban became guerillas fighting the U.S. military and others. It gradually regained power as international interest and support for Afghanistan waned after the United States started the Iraq War in 2003. This was possibly boosted by people's rising sentiment against the U.S. and the Afghan government for reasons including the U.S. military's mistaken bombings and Afghan government corruption. The Taliban launched a liaison office for negotiations with the U.S. in 2013, leading to the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan in February 2020, which bans domestic terrorism activities in return for U.S. military withdrawal.

       Q: Will rule under Islamic law return?

       A: While the Taliban insists it will govern based on Islamic law, it has said it will respect the rights of women and minority groups "within Islamic law." But, it has been reported that radio stations taken over by the Taliban stopped broadcasting music.

       (Japanese original by Jun Kaneko, Foreign News Department)

       Font Size S M L Print Timeline 0