Gworld, you've piqued my interest, and I will look further. I'm just saying that I have known many jews - orthodox, conservative, reform - and this was my understanding from these experiences, in practice.
I have known many Jews also both as friends and in work. They are generally nice people but when it comes to religious beliefs, they are as crazy as any other religious groups such as Muslims or Christians. I was living for awhile in Antwerp and I was always wondering why there is so many wig shops in that city. After some time talking with a Jewish friend, I learned that Orthodox married Jewish women can not show their hair to strangers (the same as Islam) but their solution is to shave it and use wig instead of covering it.
Most of the Western sources on the Taliban are indeed biased. I do not necessarily agree with whatever the Taliban have done during their rule, but most of these so-called "atrocities" attributed to the Taliban are either false, highly exaggerated or have already been part of Afghan culture for decades even before the Taliban rise to power. Unequivocally condemning them with utter disregard for the good they did (and they did do a lot of good things which the previous rulers of Afghanistan were unable to) would be totally dishonest. - MENJ
You have said "most of these so-called atrocities" attributed to the Taliban are "highly exaggerated...," put out by "biased western sources." From my reading of Taliban, by Ahmed Rashid, he is writing a deeply honest portrayal - the Taliban unified the country post-Soviet debacle, while implementing a regime of horror as I've described in the many posts of our discussion. He was there, Menj - this was no 3rd party reporting, and he is Pakistani, not a western reporter. He describes in painful detail - the kind of detail that comes from reporting on the ground - the very atrocities you resist, and he lays them squarely at the feet of the Taliban - who invited him as a journalist to view the executions in the football stadiums. They are described, as they are viewed in the RAWA videos, and they are the Taliban's version of justice. They implemented a campaign of hell against the women of Afghanistan. Something I've never been able to understand: these women gave birth to them, nurtured, them, raised their children - yet they are treated as lower than animals. Until such treatment is honestly and squarely acknowledged, I would argue, there is no true hope for peace in the lands where such crimes are practiced.
I would agree - in my world, such behavior is whacked. But I am no one to judge. I only judge things that have consequences here and now - on human beings, on living things that walk this planet, here and now.
Not judging is also one way of judging. What makes you think that a woman who is forced to shave her head by religion and her community is more happy than a woman who is forced to cover her hair with scarf because of her religion and community? All religious beliefs share a common idea of a higher being than knows better than it's subjects and therefore has the right to force them to submissions.
In this context, by "not judging" I refuse to be a religious atheist. I will not preach atheism, which is the antithesis of atheism, to me. You are right about the shaving and scarf comparison. I truly don't know about this one - I have heard muslim women say they wear it as a source of pride, and if this is true, I imagine much the same obtains for orthodox Jewish women. But my mind rebels, and can't help but think that women, of whatever ilk, themselves rebel at the insult. I guess it is a matter of degree, and picking my fights. The Orthodox do not stone their women, do not shoot them in the head in public executions. But it is food for thought. Thanks. I would say all deeply held beliefs share this tendency. I have known as many missionary atheists as I have known religious zealots - and I find them both deeply offensive.
Heard of the book and I do plan to buy it soon enough. At the moment I am still enjoying reading Peter Marsden's take on the Taliban and although he is a Western reporter who have spent time in Afghanistan and not free from his own personal bias, I at least find his account honestly refreshing and unlike the negative diatribe of the "mainstream" Western media and its stereotype of the Taliban. No one is denying that the Taliban did indeed have some rather...questionable, methods. However I would not go so far as to say that they implemented a "regime of horror". They provided security and safety to the Afghan civillians...something your pro-Western Afghan pals now controlling Kabul is unable to do even now. I have not read the book, so I would refrain from commenting. I will get Ahmad Rashid's book in due time. Peter Marsden dedicated a chapter to this and gave an account of why the Taliban did things which may "seem" oppresive to women. Turns out to be just hype and bish-bosh by mainstream Western media. - MENJ
Menj, you can do whatever you would like, of course. The evidence - again, the evidence you asked for, from a non-western reporter, invited by the Taliban to report on what he witnessed - is there to see. I refuse to play games with words like "questionable" or "seem oppressive" to describe the regime-implemented, inhuman torture and murder of women. These women are your mother, mine; our sisters, wives, daughters.
So is Peter Marsden's work. "Questionable" the Taliban may be, at least they do not rape women or treat them like animals. You don't seem to have batted an eyelid when the Northern Alliance did even more inhuman things in their treatment of women....such as raping them, for example. This was pointed out by Human Rights Watch, btw. And yet these are the same gang of rapists, murderers and thieves which your American government helped to return to power! I guess it takes a rapist/murderer/thief to know another rapist/murderer/thief and help them obtain power. - MENJ
I am lost with your post here - who are you calling a rapist/murderer/thief? Thank you for providing information on the NA, which wasn't known to me. Evil is evil, and I condemn all acts of violence against women, ethnic groups, whatever - "ethnic cleansing" of whatever stripe, organized war parties of rape squads, of whatever stripe, are scum of the earth, and should be dealt with accordingly. I would consider the public beating of women for not wearing socks an instance of "inhuman things," treating "women like animals." This is Talibanic law. What is at the heart of your defense of the Taliban? Sincerely?
Perhaps had you read the post in its entire context, you would know who I am referring to. And its not just the NA. Yet your American govt "kindly" placed those criminals into power. Those same criminals are the ones currently controlling Kabul, no thanks to your regime. Well they still wear "socks" today, with or without the Taliban. I do not wish to be seen as a Taliban sympathiser yet I despise this unwarranted hate-diatribe against a group of people who had the best interest of their nation at heart, questionable though that may be. - MENJ
You view a hate-diatribe my calling out what appears to be, from the evidence I have seen, the wholesale murder of women, under Talibanic law. I absolutely have no agenda, no pre-conditioned thought on the subject. My thoughts are formed from evidence received, and I would be delighted to be proven wrong. You may of course call it what you will. I simply seek the truth.