“There will be no democratic system at all,” Taliban commander Waheedullah Hashimi said in an interview with Reuters. “We will not discuss what type of political system should we apply in Afghanistan because it is clear. It is sharia law and that is it.”
Here are some of the basics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is sharia law?
In Arabic, sharia means “the clear, well-trodden path to water.” In practice, it is understood, interpreted and applied differently around the world, according to divergent traditions, cultural contexts and the role of Islam in government.
A body of religious rules to guide the day-to-day lives of Muslims, including prayer and fasting, it is based mainly on the Koran, Islam’s holy book, as well as the words and teachings of the prophet Muhammad.
Leaders, clerics and practitioners take a diverse array of approaches to the traditions and precedents.
This could include a role for sharia in criminal law, a stringent code of punishment applied in very few countries, and Islamic personal law that governs issues like marriage, inheritance and child custody, which is more common across the Muslim world.
How has the Taliban applied its interpretation of sharia in Afghanistan?
When the Taliban last controlled the country, from 1996 to 2001, the militants enforced a harsh interpretation of sharia law. Women were forced to wear burqas — the head-to-toe, face-covering garment — and could face beatings if they ventured outside on their own without a male guardian.
Schools for girls were shut. People who violated the Taliban’s rules could be publicly executed, whipped or stoned.
Some parts of Afghanistan have remained under or returned to Taliban rule over the past two decades. In those areas, the group continued to impose strict rule, amid some modest signs of reform.
What does the Taliban say about sharia?
The history of the Taliban’s extremist rule means many remain fearful, despite some attempts to strike a conciliatory tone.
Hashimi, the commander, told Reuters, that the rights of Afghan women would lay in the hands of a council of Islamic scholars. He outlined a system that bears striking similarities to the Taliban’s previous rule.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters earlier this week that the Taliban would respect women’s rights within the norms of Islamic law, but he did not elaborate. He also offered a vague pledge to uphold press freedoms, conditioning that on journalists not working “against national values.”
Why is sharia controversial in the United States and elsewhere?
Some Western public figures have vilified sharia law, pointing to the implementation of physical punishments.
Among conservative politicians and commentators in the United States, fear of legally enforceable sharia law taking hold in the country is widespread. Eleven states haven taken proactive steps, enacting laws that would prevent sharia from playing a role in U.S. courts. Sharia is used by individuals and communities of Muslims.
Sharia law has come up in legal challenges across the United States in recent decades because some fear it could override U.S. law. Most legal and religious freedom experts say concerns about sharia law in the U.S. is a misreading of legal realities. They say sharia law is for a religious group to govern their internal workings but would not trump American law.
Islamic rules governing women’s clothing have been a source of heated debate in some countries, especially interpretations calling on women to wear full burqa coverings. French law regulates Islamic face coverings in public spaces, and other European countries have enacted similar policies.
This varies widely around the Muslim world and often within counties.
“In reality, most Muslim countries do not use traditional classical Islamic punishments,” Ali Mazrui, from the Institute of Global Cultural Studies said in a Voice of America interview.
This report has been updated.
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