Download contemp afghanistan

Afghanistan
Powerpoint
Spring 2009
Keep in mind as you study the Middle East that Islam is a religion, and
Arab is an ethnic group.
Although most Arabs are Muslim, not all are - some are Christian and
some are even Jewish.
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So where did Islam come from, and what does the
religion entail?
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Following the fall of the Roman Empire, the lands of
Eastern Europe and Western Asia, as well as North
Africa, fell under the influence of either the Byzantines or
the Persians.
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The area known today as the Arabian peninsula was
largely ignored by the two mega-empires.
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The region was populated by dozens of different tribes
and clans, and plagued by perpetual wars and infighting
among them, often based on old feuds.
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The time was ripe for a man named Muhammad. At
age 40, he believed he experienced divine revelations
that told him to unite all the warring peoples.
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He preached the idea of Islam, of unity among all the
clans based not on heritage or history or family
alliances, but based on common belief in one god,
Allah, and the observance of his commandments.
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In creating this religion, Muhammad and his followers
drew on the existing monotheistic religions - Judaism,
Christianity, and Zoroastrianism.
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In creating this religion, Muhammad and his followers
drew on the existing monotheistic religions - Judaism,
Christianity, and Zoroastrianism.
Islam believes that all of these religions, Islam
included, all worship the same God.
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In Islamic belief, Moses and Jesus were both great
prophets. The Jewish torah and Christian bible were
genuine divine revelation. However…
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…human fallibility led people to misinterpret God’s word
through these texts, and so Muhammad, the final prophet,
helped produce the Qu’ran, the final holy text. These are
held by Islam to be the “most perfect” word of God.
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The five central “pillars” or tenets
of Islam are:
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The five central “pillars” or tenets
of Islam are:
1. Belief in one god
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The five central “pillars” or tenets
of Islam are:
1. Belief in one god
2. Prayer five times a day
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The five central “pillars” or tenets
of Islam are:
1. Belief in one god
2. Prayer five times a day
3. Giving to charity
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The five central “pillars” or tenets
of Islam are:
1. Belief in one god
2. Prayer five times a day
3. Giving to charity
4. Fasting during certain times
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The five central “pillars” or tenets
of Islam are:
1. Belief in one god
2. Prayer five times a day
3. Giving to charity
4. Fasting during certain times
5. Making a pilgrimage at least
once in your life to Mecca, the
holiest place in the Islamic
world, if you are able.
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Doing these acts helps one in
one’s quest to lead a righteous
life…this quest is called
JIHAD.
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Doing these acts helps one in
one’s quest to lead a righteous
life…this quest is called
JIHAD.
Jihad is also used at times to
refer to “Holy War”, but this is
not its main meaning.
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Within only a century, Islam spread rapidly throughout the
surrounding regions.
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Within only a century, Islam spread rapidly throughout the
surrounding regions.
It spread through a variety of means: missionaries,
educators, diplomats and also conquest.
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At the height of its power, Islamic empires
controlled this entire stretch of the world. Islamic
peoples led the region in technological
achievements, science, and art. Only China could
compete with their sophisticated technology and
bureaucracy.
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Ever since Mohammad’s
death, however, Muslims
lost their total unity differences about who
should inherit his political
authority led to the first
major split, and others
soon followed.
As you can see, over 80% of the world’s Muslims are Sunni:
Green = Sunni
Blue = Shi’a
Muslims live all over the world, and
Islam is practiced by people from
hundreds of different ethnic groups.
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Between 1 and 2 million Americans are Muslim. That’s about the
same number of Americans who are Jewish (2.3 – 3 million).
From sports (Muhammad Ali, Kareem
Abdul Jabar) to politics (Mayor Charles
Bilal, congressional chaplain Imam
Warith Deen Mohammed), there are
many famous Muslims in America.
There are about 3.5
million Arab Americans
in the United States.
Of these, only 24% are
Muslim.
Among the many Muslims in America are Afghan-Americans.
Afghan Americans are not Arabs.
In fact, it’s hard even to say Afghans are “Afghans!”
Afghan-Americans, like Afghans in their homeland of
Afghanistan, come from many different ethnic groups.
The land that is now the
nation of Afghanistan was
originally inhabited by the
Aryans, ancestors of the
Persian people (whom we
know today as the people of
Iran).
The idea of a “nation”, and a “national identity”, is a very
new concept, created in Europe only a few hundred years
ago.
For thousands of years, most people in the Middle East and
Africa occupied certain lands, and considered that their
territory unless someone conquered them or drove them off.
It was the European powers, like the British and the
French, who, through conquest and diplomacy, drew the
“borders” you see on the map today.
The “borders” around the modern state of Afghanistan
actually include dozens of different Ethnic groups,
including:
Pashtuns
Pashtuns
Hazaras
Pashtuns
Hazaras
Tajiks
Pashtuns
Hazaras
Tajiks
Uzbeks
And many more!
These peoples don’t all speak the same language, eat the same food,
or have the same customs. Yet since the 1700s, they all lived together
under one monarch.
Although some groups had more power or rights than others,
generally speaking, they were left alone to govern themselves the
way they wanted, so long as they swore loyalty to the ruling powers.
In the 20th century, due in part to European influence,
Afghanistan’s leaders tried to form a nation-state in
which all the various groups would become united
under an “Afghan” identity. In the 1970s, rebels
overthrow the king and try and create a republic.
This throws the country into fighting and chaos.
In 1978, the Soviet Union invaded
Afghanistan and tried, by military
force, to conquer and unite all the
various ethnic groups under the
banner of Communism.
The Russians tried for ten years, but even though they had
overwhelming military power, the various Afghan groups fought
back using tactics like suicide bombings and sabotage, slowly
wearing down the Soviet forces.
Since the United States and its European allies were
opposed to the Soviet Union, they gave billions of
dollars in aid and weaponry to the Afghans, especially
the Mujahideen , the “holy fighters” who practiced a
radical, fundamentalist version of Islam.
Among these fighters
was a group called Al
Quaeda, which means
“the foundation” or
“the base.”
Al Queda was formed
by a Saudi
businessman, who,
with the help of US
and European
funding, built a small
terrorist army to fight
the Russians.
When the Russians
finally withdrew their
troops from
Afghanistan, the country
was left shattered by a
decade of war and
terrorist attacks.
After the Russians left, the
United States stopped
sending most of the
aid…and with no clear
governing group, various
different warlords claimed
power in different parts of
the country.
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Control of Kabul, the capital, fell to a group called the
Northern Alliance.
Mostly ethnic Tajiks angry at oppression after years of
Pasthun privilege, they fought a bitter and prolonged series
of wars with the Pashtuns there. In the process, much of
the capital was destroyed and thousands died.
The infighting only ended
when a group of radical
Islamic scholar-warriors
called the Taliban
eventually took power.
The Taliban weren’t even
all native to the
area…many were leftover
“holy fighters”, like Bin
Laden, who had come from
other countries to help fight
the Russians, and then just
stayed and took over when
the Russians left.
Supported by wealthy investors in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan
(both US allies), the Taliban imposed an extreme version of
Shari’a law, interpreting Islam to mean the virtual enslavement of
women, and the imprisonment or death of anyone who disagreed
with their policies.
Needless to say, this is hardly a majority view among Muslims,
any more than the KKK, who are Christian, represent the
majority view of Christianity.
Although there was some resistance from the Afghan people, the
Taliban and their warlord allies controlled all of the military
power, not to mention all of the food.
Meanwhile, in 1991,
the United States and
its allies attack Iraq in
the Persian Gulf War.
Meanwhile, in 1991,
the United States and
its allies attack Iraq in
the Persian Gulf War.
During that war, the
Saudi government
gives the American
army permission to
operate from bases on
Saudi soil.
Meanwhile, in 1991,
the United States and
its allies attack Iraq in
the Persian Gulf War.
This infuriates
Osama Bin Laden,
now living in
Afghanistan.
During that war, the
Saudi government
gives the American
army permission to
operate from bases on
Saudi soil.
Saudi Arabia is home to Mecca,
the holiest city in all of Islam.
According to his statement of
Jihad, Bin Laden says he could
not bear the presence of
American non-believers and
their military on holy soil, and
vows revenge.
Just an FYI, Bin Laden didn’t
much care that the US was
attacking Sadam Hussein. Bin
Laden hated Hussein for being a
non-believer himself, and had in
fact offered the services of Al
Qaeda to the Saudi government
in fighting Hussein’s army.
(The Saudis refused his offer)
As part of what they consiered their “campaign of
vengeance”, Al Quaeda operatives bomb two US
embassies in Africa, and attack the US destroyer USS
COLE in the waters near Yemen.
On September 11th, 2001, 19 Al Qaeda operatives – all
Egyptians and Saudis – hijack four planes and crash them
into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (one plane
crashes in Pennsylvania woods)
About 3000 American civilians are killed.
Bin Laden claims responsibility, saying the attacks come in
response to the US military presence on Saudi soil, US
military operations in Muslim countries, and for US
support of Israel (in that order).
The United States government determines that Bin Laden is
in Afghanistan, and demands the Taliban turn him over to
US authorities.
The Taliban at first deny Bin Laden is there, then say he is
there, but deny he was responsible. In any event, they say
they refuse to hand him over without proof.
The United States soon launches “Operation Enduring
Freedom”, bombing Afghanistan for weeks and sending in
troops.
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Joining forces with the Northern Alliance, they quickly
unseat the Taliban government and take control of
Afghanistan’s capital city, Kabul.
Between 3,000 - 4,000 Afghan civilians are killed in the
initial bombings and in the days of the war against the
Taliban.
In addition, many Pashtuns claim that the Northern Alliance
abused them during the taking of the capital city.
With the Taliban removed, Afghanistan falls again into
chaos. The US forces and the new democratic Afghan
government they install control a portion of the
country…mainly in the North…while the Southern part of
the country falls back into the hands of various warlords.
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Supporters of the War point to the improved condition of women in the
North of Afghanistan, and to the successful 2004 presidential election,
the first democratic vote in Afghan history.
(Although many allege corruption and voting fraud in the process)
Opponents of the war argue that:
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Opponents of the war argue that:
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1) No Afghans were among the
hijackers, so killing them is
unfair.
Opponents of the war argue that:
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1) No Afghans were among the
hijackers, so killing them is
unfair.
2) The war has made life worse in
many ways for the Afghan
peoples.
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Opponents of the war argue that:
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1) No Afghans were among the
hijackers, so killing them is
unfair.
2) The war has made life worse in
many ways for the Afghan
peoples.
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3) The war, far from stopping Al
Qaeda, may be stirring up more
anti-American sentiment, and
thus recruiting more terrorists.
As of April 2009, eight years after the war began, Osama Bin
Laden still has not been found.
US forces remain in Afghanistan, fighting leftover Taliban
and Al Quaeda supporters, as well as the forces of the
warlords.
The war has spread into the Western part of neighboring
Pakistan.
As of April 2009, 1137
Coalition soldiers (about
700-800 US soldiers)
have died, thousands
have been wounded, in
the war in Afghanistan,
along with 7,000-10,000
of Afghan civilian deaths
(no accurate count has
been kept of them).
According to President Bush, the goals of the war are the
“destruction of terrorist training camps and infrastructure, the
capture of Al Qaeda leaders, and the cessation of terrorist activities
in Afghanistan.”
President Obama has vowed to continue and even expand the war.
It remains to be seen how and when the war will
end, and what will become of the Afghan peoples in
their homeland.
In the United States,
Afghan Americans
rejoiced at the defeat of
the Taliban…
In the United States,
Afghan Americans
rejoiced at the defeat of
the Taliban…
…yet remain concerned
for the welfare of their
countrymen back home,
as well as concerned
about growing antiMuslim sentiment in the
United States.
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Following 9/11, hundreds
Muslims of all ethnic
backgrounds in America were
questioned. Some were
arrested and held without
charges or trail (many remain
imprisoned to this day), and
others were victims of racial
hate crimes.
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Following 9/11, hundreds
Muslims of all ethnic
backgrounds in America were
questioned. Some were
arrested and held without
charges or trail (many remain
imprisoned to this day), and
others were victims of racial
hate crimes.
A Cornell University poll in
2004 showed 44% of
Americans felt MuslimAmericans should have more
restricted civil rights than
other Americans.
Khaled Hosseini became the
most famous Afghan American
when he wrote the Kite Runner
in 2003.