Afghanistan under the Taliban (The Past Year): Free 10-Week Online Seminar, Spring 2023

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Hosted on Zoom – Register for link

Tuesdays

March 14 – May 16, 2023

11am-12:30pm Eastern Time

Description:

In 1994, Mullah Mohammad Omar claimed to have seen the Prophet in his dream and established the Taliban. After two years of struggle with Northern Alliance forces led by Ahmad Shah Masud, Omar finally captured Kabul by force in 1996. He declared the government to be the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan which governed under harsh Islamic rule until ousted by US-NATO-led forces, in 2001. Thus began the decade of republic in Afghanistan. After two decades of constitutional order, the decade of the republic ended on 15 August 2021 and the Taliban took over the country. What is happening inside the country under Taliban rule? Have the Taliban been able to bring the peace and stability they promised, or have they resorted again to targeting dissidents and potential threats? What is the current situation in the country, and what is projected to happen moving forward? During this seminar, we will discuss the Taliban’s recent decision banning women from education and work, and the reaction to it. The increase of rivalries, and the reasons for the rise of radicalism which is ideologically similar to Al-Qaeda and Daesh. How the Taliban strives to fill the power vacuum in Afghanistan, is posing a challenge not only to the Taliban, but to the world as well.

More Information:

Participants who attend at least 8 complete seminar sessions will receive a certificate of satisfactory completion from the Dean of The New School for Social Research. In order to obtain the certificate, participants must register and log in with the same email address each week.

Registration will remain open for the duration of the seminar. Registrants will receive a reminder email with the Zoom link each week.

The seminar sessions will be recorded and available to registrants on Vimeo the following week.

Seminar Leaders:

Shoaib Rahim

Shoaib Rahim is an Associate Professor of Practice in Management at American University of Afghanistan (AUAF). He has a rich background working in the public sector ranging from his days at the Ministry of Defense, to serving as the Acting Mayor of Kabul and finally working on Afghanistan’s peace process. His academic involvement over the years has been with AUAF, and he is currently a Visiting Scholar at the New School in New York.

Kazim Karimi

Kazim Karimi is a Professor at Afghanistan University. He holds a PhD in Commerce from Mangalore University India where he focused his research on rural development models. His years of work in the development sector in Afghanistan as well as in the public sector have allowed him to enrich his contribution to academia over the years.

Week 1: March 14, 2023
The Birth of the Taliban and Their First Rule over Afghanistan [1994-2001]

• Suggested reading:
  Al Jazeera, 2021. “The History of the Taliban.”

• Further reading:
  BBC, 2021. “Who Are the Taliban and What Is Happening in Afghanistan?“
  NPR, 2020. “Birth of the Taliban.”
  IDEA, 2021. “The Constitution and Laws of the Taliban, 1994-2001.”

Week 2: March 21, 2023
Life under the Taliban in the 90s [1994-2001]

• Suggested reading:
  PBS, 2021. “A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan.”
  
• Further reading:
  Muhammad Sajjad, 2020. “The Rise and Fall of the Taliban Regime (1994-2001).”
  Global Upfront, 2021. “Behind the Scenes of the Taliban’s Internal Power Struggle.”

Week 3: March 28, 2023
The Taliban and the Constitutional Order [2001-2021]

• Suggested reading:
  NPR, 2021. “A Timeline of Afghanistan’s Four Decades of Instability.”
  
• Further reading:
  ARY News, 2021. “From 2001 to 2021: Taliban’s Fall and Rise to Power in Afghanistan.”
  Vox, 2021. “The History of US Intervention in Afghanistan.”
  

Week 4: April 4, 2023
The Doha Deal and the Taliban Rebrand

• Suggested reading:
  US Department of State, 2020. “Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan.”
  
• Further reading:
  Aspenia Online, 2021. “Reading the Doha Agreement.”
  US Institute of Peace. Afghanistan Study Group.
  BBC, 2021. “US-Taliban Deal Hastened Afghan Collapse, Defence Officials Say.”

Week 5: April 11, 2023
Law and Order and the Illusion of Counter-Terrorism under the Taliban since Aug. 15, 2021

• Suggested reading:
  BBC, 2021. “Afghanistan Country Profile.”
  
• Further reading:
  BBC, 2019. “Afghanistan Profile: Timeline.”
  Siasat, 2021. “Internal Conflict in Taliban Leadership Raises Concerns for Afghanistan.”
  UN, 2001. Bonn Agreement.
  The Conversation, 2021. “What’s Next for Afghanistan?“
  Al Jazeera, 2021. “The Taliban and Islamic Law in Afghanistan.”
  NDTV, 2022. “Taliban Order Full Enforcement of Islamic Law in Afghanistan.”
  Counter Extremism Project. Afghanistan: Extremism and Terrorism.
  UN, 2022. “Counter-Terrorism, Afghanistan, Top Priorities for Un Cooperation with Eurasian Security Body.”

Week 6: April 18, 2023
The Economy, Risk of Famine, and the Taliban’s Position

• Suggested reading:
  Atlantic Council, 2021. “Afghanistan’s Economy under the Taliban.”
  
• Further reading:
  BBC, 2021. “Afghanistan’s Economy in Crisis after Taliban Takeover.”
  NBC News, 2021. “Famine Looms Over Afghanistan, Leaving Millions Hungry.”
  UNHCR, 2022. “What’s Happening Now in Afghanistan.”
  LSE, 2021. “Women’s Rights and Education under the Taliban.”
  ORF, 2021. “Afghan Women under Taliban Rule.”
  HRW, 2021. “Taliban Policies Violating Women’s Rights in Afghanistan.”
  

Week 7: April 25, 2023
The Taliban’s War on Women

• Suggested reading:
  India Today, 2023. “Why Is Taliban’s War on Women a War against Islam?“
  
• Further reading:
  US Department of State, 2021. “The Taliban’s War against Women.”
  US Department of State, 2001. “Human Rights and the Taliban.”
  Amnesty International. Afghanistan 2021.
  

Week 8: May 2, 2023
Human Rights and Civil Liberties under the Taliban

• Suggested reading:
  UNAMA, 2022. “Report on Human Rights in Afghanistan since the Taliban Takeover.”
  
• Further reading:
  Freedom House, 2022. “A Year After Taliban’s Return, Afghanistan’s Civil Society Vanguard Still Needs the World’s Help.”
  AFP, 2022. “Taliban, Afghan Civil Society ‘Break the Ice’ in Oslo.”

Week 9: May 9, 2023
De Facto Recognition of the Islamic Emirate

• Suggested reading:
  BBC, 2022. “Who Are the Taliban?“
  
• Further reading:
  Times of India, 2021. “Terrorism in Afghanistan and Spillover Effect in Central Asia.”
  Dawn, 2021. “Taliban Recognition.”
  Bennett University, 2021. “Taliban in Afghanistan: Recognition under International Law.”
  Jus Corpus, 2021. “Can the Taliban Regime Be Granted Recognition under International Law?“
  
  

Week 10: May 16, 2023
Resisting the Taliban and What Happens Next

• Suggested reading:
  The Diplomat, 2021. “What Does the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan Have to Offer?“
  
• Further reading:
  National Resistance Front of Afghanistan.
  Foreign Policy, 2022. “The Afghan Resistance Front Is Still Fighting.”
  Stanford News, 2021. “What’s Next for Afghanistan?“
  Muhammad Fahim Khan, Sajid Ali, and Hashmat Ullah, 2021. “Ethnic Conflict and Political Instability in Afghanistan.”
  Al Jazeera, 2012. “The Crisis and Politics of Ethnicity in Afghanistan.”