Fundamentalism Reborn?

Description

This book traces the Taliban movement’s origins, its rise to power, and the tensions and contradictions which made it impossible to accommodate within the modern international system. It exposes some of the misunderstandings which led various powers, including the United States, to believe that the Taliban could bring peace to Afghanistan and permit its reconstruction after years of destructive conflict. It also highlights steps that can be taken to assist the Afghan people to recover from the consequences of the fragmentation of their society, and its subordination to an anti-modernist force of a kind unprecedented in Afghanistan’s recent history.

Fundamentalism Reborn? is a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the history, ascendancy, and decline of the most dramatic manifestation of Islamic fundamentalism since the Iranian revolution.

Reviews

‘A fantastic achievement, having successfully dealt with an extremely complicated issue. […] accessible both to a reader with some general interest in Afghanistan –– and is equally of immense aid for academic study.’ –– British Society of Middle Eastern Studies

‘A fascinating and thorough analysis of the very complex political/military situation that evolved in Afghanistan following the demise of the Soviet puppet regime in 1992. […] an insightful study of the rose of a new form of puritanical Islamic fundamentalism that overran Kabul in September 1996 –– namely, the Taliban, and its impact on Afghan society. Highly recommended.’ –– Choice

Editor(s)

William Maley is Emeritus Professor of Diplomacy at Australian National University, and the author of many books on Afghan politics and history.