Afghanistan followed the same fate as dozens of formerly Soviet-occupied countries after the collapse of Moscow's Marxist government in 1991. Islamic factions, which had united toexpel the Russian occupiers in 1992, began to fight among themselves when it became apparentthat post-communist coalition governments could not overcome the deep-rooted ethnic andreligious differences of the members. It was in this atmosphere of economic strife and civil warthat a fundamentalist band of religious students emerged victorious. By 1996, this group, theTaliban, ruled 90% of the country with a controversial holy iron hand.The other 10% of the country is tenaciously held by minority opposition groups led bypresident Rabbani and military commander Ahmed Shah Massoud and aided by foreign Talibanadversaries. This Northern Alliance shares critics' objections to the Taliban's extremefundamentalist methods and especially scorns Pashtun ethnic chauvinism.Today only Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia recognize the Talibanas Afghanistan's legitimate ruling party. The United Nations still considers Massoud head ofState, the US advocates a broad based government and others favor Rabbani, Zahir Shah,Gulbuddin Hekmatyar or other opponents as rulers of Afghanistan.The Taliban claim to follow a pure, fundamentalist Islamic ideology, yet the oppressionthey perpetrate against women has no basis in Islam. Within Islam, women are allowed to earnand control their own money, and to participate in public life. The 55-member Organization ofIslamic Conference has refused to recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan's official government.The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, regarded by many as an ultraconservative, fundamentalistorganization, has denounced the Taliban's decrees.Female employment and education is restricted or banned. Women must stay at home.If necessary, women who do leave the house must be accompanied by a male relative and coverthemselves with a ...
