Advisor(s)
Amilcar A. Barreto
Contributor(s)
Daniel R. Faber, David M. Monje
Date of Award
2011
Date Accepted
4-2011
Degree Grantor
Northeastern University
Degree Level
Ph.D.
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department or Academic Unit
College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Law, Policy & Society Program
Keywords
law, policy, society, public policy and social welfare, Taliban, Afghan, Afghanistan, Muslim
Disciplines
Law and Society
Abstract
Policy analysts frequently portray the Taliban resistance as an exclusively Islamic movement. Culturally deterministic notions regarding Islamic societies have negatively influenced western governments' policies towards Muslim states. The research here advances the hypothesis that the current conflict in Afghanistan is not about "Islam." At its core the Taliban resistance is a nationalist challenge to foreign forces and their Afghan allies. Furthermore, the roots of this movement are foreign occupation, continued years of war and violence, and a lack of genuine effort on the part of the incumbent regime to implement necessary socio-economic and political reforms. This work claims that the success of the Taliban movement is firmly rooted in their appropriation of religious symbols, discourse and terminology -- particularly Shariat, or Islamic law -- to channel the frustrations of a grieving population.
Document Type
Dissertation
Rights Information
copyright 2011
Rights Holder
Mariam Atifa Raqib
Permanent URL
Recommended Citation
Raqib, Mariam Atifa, "Resistance by other means: the Taliban, foreign occupation, and Afghan national identity" (2011). Law, Policy, and Society Dissertations. Paper 24. http://hdl.handle.net/2047/d20001034
Click button above to open, or right-click to save.
Notes
This digital object replaces another digital object in IRis at http://hdl.handle.net/2047/d20001033.