The Source of Taliban Forces in Afghanistan

Abstract

The Afghan Taliban forces are comprised of three categories. One category consists of the talibs and mollahs who graduated from the religious schools or from the local seminaries in the rural areas in Afghanistan. Before the PDPA coup in 1978, most of these mollahs and talibs lived in mosques all over the country, and they were among the first social groups that were harassed by the PDPA regime. In the later stages of the war, many of these mollahs and talibs joined the Mujahideen groups, and some became Mujahideen commanders. A segment of these mollahs and talibs remained in Afghanistan and continued their religious services for the local communities. Those who left the country attended religious ceremonies and schools in Pakistan and, to a lesser extent, in Iran. When the Taliban movement started, these mollahs and talibs joined the movement and became loyal members of the movement.