Radical Islamic groups are elusive. At first glance, their ideologies seem similar – and yet many groups are hostile. An analysis.
Kabul – One thing becomes clear when you look at the chaotic situation at the airport in Kabul. Radical Islamic groups are still present. At the same time, they despise the values of the West, such as equality or democracy. And their grip in Southeast Asia is tightening. But not as a unit – but as enemies. Why is that?
The currently most prominent and also most powerful radical movement in Afghanistan * and the region are the Taliban *. Their sphere of influence is limited to Afghanistan itself and the surrounding areas in neighboring Pakistan. The Taliban became known to a wider audience in the 1990s. Even then, like today, they wanted to establish an “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”. Emir means “leader” or “commander” in Arabic. What distinguishes the emir from the “caliph” is that he does not rule equally as a secular and spiritual leader, but only on a secular level. The Taliban rule of the past was largely based on Sharia *.
Taliban, IS and Al Qaeda: How do the radical groups differ?
At the same time (1988) the Al-Qaeda terrorist network (Arabic for “the base”) came into being. A key figure clearly showed how closely the Taliban’s career was linked to the terror network: Usāma ibn Muhammad ibn Awad ibn Lādin, better known as Osama bin Laden.
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The son of a successful building contractor from Saudi Arabia supported the mujahideen (Arabic for “fighters”) in Afghanistan, who were fighting against the Soviet occupation, at an early age. Bin Laden ordered the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks from Afghanistan. This ultimately led to the US military operation in Afghanistan and the overthrow of the ruling Taliban.
Al Qaeda: The establishment of an international terror network
Even if al-Qaeda increasingly lost influence in the region after its important partner Taliban was overthrown, it can be assumed that the two organizations are still close. In a report from a UN body responsible for sanctions to the UN Security Council from July 2021, it said that al-Qaeda was present in 15 of 34 provinces in Afghanistan. If the Taliban can maintain their newfound power in Afghanistan, they would probably again hold their protective hand over al-Qaeda. In contrast to the Taliban, who focus entirely on Afghanistan, Al-Qaeda operates internationally. Their primary interest: waging jihad against, according to their understanding, anti-Islamic countries.
With IS, a well-known actor in global terror is entering the stage in Afghanistan. With a terrible Internet presence, for example through execution videos or massacres staged by the media, the IS quickly gained a lot of attention. Even if the “caliphate” in Syria * was as good as smashed, splinter cells of the “Islamic State” have formed everywhere in the Near and Middle East as well as in Africa. According to the study “The Coming Caliphate?” By the German Institute for International Politics and Security, groups that associate themselves with IS have been active in Afghanistan since 2014. In 2015, the Khorasan Province was proclaimed a regional offshoot for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The “Islamic State” (IS) as a regional splinter group in Afghanistan
The United Nations differentiates between the ISKP (Islamic State of Khorasan Province) and self-proclaimed IS groups in the north of the country. In 2014 the then leader of the IS, Abu Bakr al-Baghadi published a map with regions in which the IS should expand in the future. It showed Afghanistan as part of the Wilayah Province (Khorasan). The study also states that IS’s rapid successes attracted many extremists from Afghanistan. Even dissatisfied Taliban commanders are said to have been recruited into the ranks of IS. Khorasan is a historical region in Central Asia that includes parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran *. So far, the splinter group has not been able to bring larger areas under control.
Despite ideological similarities in the interpretation of Sunni Islam, ISIS and the Taliban are enemies. The news channel ntv describes that the Taliban were called “renegades” by members of the IS. Above all, the IS condemned the agreement with the USA *, in which Washington guaranteed the Taliban the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. They “sat down at the table with the enemy” and “betrayed the jihad”. Terrorism researcher Peter Neumann also told Tagesthemen that IS had never had a partnership with the Taliban like Al Qaeda had before. In addition, the IS is a kind of loner, he has an “exclusive right to represent”.
Since the self-proclaimed IS of the Khorasan Province claimed the attacks at the airport in Kabul for themselves, they send the Taliban a clear signal: We deny the rule of the Taliban. (Marvin Ziegele) * fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
