Taliban to declare Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

The Taliban will establish the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan today.

Following the fall of Kunduz last week, Afghan National Army forces abandoned, surrendered, and lost their posts throughout Afghanistan. US and Afghan officials fleeing the nation on August 15 forced the issue, leading to the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Expect the Taliban to begin enforcing the strictest interpretations of extreme fundamentalist Islamic law throughout Afghanistan. At the political level, this will lead to the establishment of an Ulama—an organization of Muslim clerics, judges and scholars—followed by the establishment of an Islamic court system. The Taliban’s ground forces will then take on law enforcement responsibilities for the state.

Given the brutal legacy of the Taliban, it is highly likely today’s establishment will have catastrophic consequences for minorities, women, children and Western collaborators. Minorities, namely the Shi’a Hazara people, will face genocide. Women will be stripped of their rights and shackled to men. Children will be made into child-brides or soldiers. Western collaborators will be executed. Gruesome punishments like beheading and stoning will again become commonplace.

The international community will watch these devolutions in horror from the sidelines as Islamic fundamentalists once again plunder the Heart of Asia.