Afghan police spokesman Khaled Zadran believes that living in the city has many positive aspects (Al Jazeera)
Kabul -
The Taliban movement registered itself as the first movement to control the entire Afghan territory in five decades, and today it is entering its third decade, after its emergence in 1996 as an armed movement in Afghanistan, so that after two years it was able to rule most parts of the country.
But American, international and Afghan forces overthrew it in 2001, and the movement began a rebellion that lasted nearly 20 years, regaining power once again in 2021, with the advantage of controlling all parts of Afghanistan.
Experts on Afghan affairs believe that the life of the first generation - or the founders' generation - of the Taliban movement was one way, intellectually and even in terms of living standards, while the life, ideas, and attitudes of the second generation differed compared to those before it.
The first generation of the Taliban lived their lives in the mountains and under the shadow of war (Al Jazeera)
Stability after war
Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Al Jazeera Net, “Change is a continuous process in human life. Previously, we were in the mountains and endured their difficulties, and life was harsh there. Now most of the Taliban militants have settled in the cities, and because of the end of the war in Afghanistan, their living situation has improved, and they are now focusing on "They have more personal lives, and they know the official and governmental style of dealing with people."
He added, "Since we came to power, we have had experiences in providing services to people. Previously, war had a large place in our thinking, and now the situation has changed. Our way of thinking and outlook on life has changed, and I think it is a positive development."
After the events of September 11, 2001, and the American army began fighting the Taliban militants, a generation of the movement’s fighters fought in the villages and mountains of Afghanistan, and the lives of many children were shaped by the war they experienced for the first time. They replaced their childhood with what they were told was their “duty as Muslims.” They must defend their land.
Experts in Afghan affairs believe that the first generation of the Taliban movement did not exercise much rule, as its government fell quickly, and it was unable to control all parts of the country. As for the second generation, it controlled all Afghan lands, and today it exercises rule alone, enjoying all government benefits, and there are Stability in the standard of living, as most Taliban members live with their families in major cities, such as Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Jalalabad.
Zadran at a checkpoint with his fellow Taliban militants in front of the Afghan Ministry of Interior in the center of the capital, Kabul (Al Jazeera)
New generation
The young man Khaled Zadran is considered a member of the second generation of the Taliban movement. He is now 33 years old. In 2001, he returned with his family from Waziristan to the state of Khost in southeastern Afghanistan. He sympathized with the Taliban because his family stood against the American invasion, but he left school after the fifth grade and joined the Taliban. To the movement, he was distributing leaflets to incite people against the Afghan government and foreign forces in Khost.
Zadran took up arms against the American forces since 2008, and participated in many military operations. After the Taliban came to power, Zadran was appointed spokesman for the Afghan police in Kabul, where he settled in an upscale residential complex there, and his sons and daughters - unlike the rest of the Taliban - go to the modern school. He practices sports in the most famous sports club in Kabul.
He told Al Jazeera Net, "The second generation enjoys some facilities compared to the previous generation. The Internet was not available at that time, but now you can send the message through social media such as the A large number of people."
Zadran adds, "The Taliban fighters did not experience civilian life. After the American withdrawal, most of them settled in the cities, and now they are familiar with the way of life in them. After interacting with the people of the cities, we learned about their way of thinking, and we can now deal with them with all comfort. Living in the city has aspects." "There is a lot of positivity, and it will have a direct impact on our lives and our way of thinking."
Striking appearances
Political analysts believe that the Taliban movement, after coming to power in 2021, seeks to portray itself as different from what it was when it was in power in the late 1990s, although they have not changed ideologically, but they believe that they cannot ignore the circumstances different from those that prevailed. In the nineties.
Writer and political researcher Ahmed Karimi told Al Jazeera Net, “During the past two decades, Afghan society has changed a lot, and the Taliban movement is facing a new generation of Afghan people. There is a need to modify its way of thinking in dealing with this generation, and a large number of Taliban leaders justify their need for change because of the emergence of a new reality.” ".
University professor Abdul Rashid Nouri told Al Jazeera Net, "A large number of the second generation of the Taliban want to keep pace with the times, and are now focusing on teaching English and computer science, as they see them as necessary to obtain a prestigious government job."
On the other hand, some Taliban militants who belong to the second generation tell Al Jazeera Net that urban life is “more stressful and less religious” than they had imagined, and that the city, with a population of about 5 million people, represents a “disappointment” to them.
An employee in the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Hussam Khan (37 years old), told Al Jazeera Net, "The social ties in the villages are closer than in the city. When we were fighting the Americans, we enjoyed the respect of the villagers. Now things are different in the city. I miss my village."
Source: Al Jazeera