Talibanist mores in Palestine
Even though the Taliban, which controlled Afghanistan for five years, fell from power after imposing fundamentalist mores on Afghan society, there are numerous Arab groups still seeking to implement Talibanist culture on their own societies. This is especially true in societies where chaos is rife and law and order are lacking.
Following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the twin towers, and the emergence of al-Qaeda as an international Islamist movement, associated with the Taliban, many Arab youth started to adopt extremist Islamist ideology and to modify their behavior accordingly within their own society, and culture.
Inactive groups of Arab youth saw in Osama bin Laden and his comrades as heroes on whom to model themselves. They even started to regard themselves as a part of al-Qaeda, even without any connection or communication between them and bin Laden.
This process was greatly aided by the communications revolution and the spread of the internet and satellite TV, which helped to spread these radical thoughts and beliefs.
The close relationship between religion and culture in Arab societies makes it easier for these youth to identify themselves with the Afghani paradigm, and implement it as their own line of ideology, with the accompanying organized thought patterns and behavior.
These disaffected youngsters saw in al-Qaeda a psychological and emotional release mechanism to help heal their broken dignity, following successive failures by the collective Arab leadership.
Politically speaking, what they see in al-Qaeda is nothing new. Such fondness for radical groups emerged in Europe in the period between the two world wars. In the Middle East, the periodic emergence of radical groups is in direct response to a feeling of regional despair, itself aggravated by American hegemony.
After Afghani resistance groups succeeded in freeing Afghanistan from Soviet occupation, coming into power they imposed ultra-conservative restrictions, reminiscent of Bedouin society. This attempt to control Afghan society seemed to regard any form of modern civilization as evil.
The ideology of the Taliban is the essence of the chasm between civilization and archaic mores. These fanatics see civilization and globalization as a western novelty, linked to European and the American colonization. Furthermore they also refuse to accept the democratic transformation of societies, or their political reform.
The Islamist groups who believe in the Taliban's school of ideology, organize themselves covertly, and aim to achieve power through the ballot box. For example, the attempt to establish a second Talibanist state in the Iraqi city of Falluja, and calling for an Islamic state in the al-Anbar province of Iraq.
It is important to remember that the emergence of these two examples followed in the aftermath of the chaos, itself a result of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein after the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq.
Just as both the Taliban and their al-Qaeda allies saw in Islamic resistance the first stage of political and social transformation, other groups that have been influenced by them still see Islamic resistance as the best way to achieve power and change the society from within. Even when these movements have decided to participate in elections and deal with the current regimes, they have waited until the right moment to hit and run.
These Taliban-influenced movements see in the radical Islamization of their societies and the accompanying chaos and disorder a way to establish their own state. This is exactly what is starting to emerge in the West Bank and Gaza.
Hamas immediately tried to assert itself as the only power just after coming into power. Furthermore, these groups try to enforce change at the individual level, before changing society in general. This cannot happen naturally – only by force.
There are many examples here in Palestine, such as the targeting of festivals, and places of entertainment, like internet cafes. They also try to restrict the behavior of women, by throwing acid into the faces of unveiled women – although the Hamas movement has publicly distanced itself from such acts.
This is in addition to suppressing freedom of speech. Allegedly, "unknown" armed men have attacked local radio and television stations, kidnapped Palestinian and foreign journalists and assassinated opposition leaders and security officials in broad daylight – all on the basis of differing opinions and loyalties.
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