In December 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and began to raze Afghanistan to the ground, creating millions of refugees, orphans, widows and cripples. Afghanistan's Jihad against Communism and foreign occupation began under the banner of Islam. It was on the basis of the teachings of Islam that a small, ill-equipped nation succeeded in defeating a Superpower who seemed well-positioned to dominate the world. As students of Islamic teachings, the Taleban played a paramount role in mobilizing, planning, and directing the holy Jihad. This role was not new to the Afghan history. In the past, whenever a foreign power invaded Afghanistan and threatened freedom and independence of the Afghans, the Islamic Students (called Talaba) left their schools or Madrassahs to fight at the head of the Afghan armies. In spite of the tremendous hardships, the Taleban and other devout Muslims of Afghanistan continued their holy war of spiritual salvation and national freedom until the Soviet Union withdrew its forces in defeat on 15 February 1989.

If this was not enough for the country, another three years of war against the Soviet-backed Communists continued from February 1989 until the Conquest of Kabul in December 1992, when the puppet Communist regime installed by the Soviets collapsed and the prospects of the establishment of an Islamic, peace-seeking government in Kabul appeared on the horizon.

The struggle for the faith, freedom, and dignity of the Afghan people lasted over 14 years. During these trying and painful years, over two million Afghans were massacred and slaughtered by the evil forces of the Red Army, tens of thousands of innocent men, women, and children became permanently maimed and disabled, thousands of the faithful and intellectuals were made victims of mass-executions, several thousands were sent to prisons, tortured, buried or burned alive. Whole villages were destroyed to the ground or burned to ashes. The economy of the country was ruined. As a result of the atheist policies of the Communist regime, Afghanistan became a graveyard of the faithful; honesty and morality were forced out of people's lives; and Afghan culture, education, and mass media were put in the service of promoting Communist ideology and philosophy.

With the Soviets gone in disgrace, and their puppets defeated, the Taleban perceived their task accomplished, and soon returned back in large numbers to their Madrassahs, to take up their search for knowledge and spiritual advancement. The period described above that lasted from 1979 to the end of 1992, can be called the First Phase of the Taliban's mission in serving their faith, their people, and their country.

Whilst the Afghan people were finally looking for peace after fourteen years of War, the various 'Mujahideen' leaders were looking for power. Fighting broke out amongst the various 'Mujahideen' groups, who had once fought the Soviets and Communists together, and the evil intentions and ulterior motives of some of these commanders surfaced. Commander Gulbuddin Hekmatyar began to fight the 'President' of the new 'Islamic Emirate', Mujaddidi, and his Commander Rashid Dostum on one hand, then Mr. Burhanuddin Rabbani and Commander Ahmad Shah Masood on the other. During the next four years after the Conquest of Kabul from the Communists in 1992, 80% of Kabul was destroyed and thousands of innocent Muslims lost their lives. Muslim donors and volunteers who helped the Jihad against the Soviets and the Communists withdrew from the country, disheartened and in disgust at 'Muslims' killing 'Muslims'.

The enemies of Islam further took advantage of the situation and began to funnel arms and supplies to the opposing sides. Iran pushed the Shiite Hizbe-Wahdat to the battlefield, whilst Russia and Uzbekistan supported the Communist Commander Rashid Dostum. India, on the other hand, provided technical and financial assistance to Rabbani and his commander, Masood.

The blazes of the brutal and unforgiving war did not, indeed could not, remain confined to the city of Kabul. Soon it spread throughout the country in one shape or another. Because warlords and other irresponsible people were in possession of heavy and light weaponry, looting posts and checkpoints were erected within cities and along national highways by brigands, robbers, and bandits. These posts were used to rob innocent people who had to use the roads, and to extort illegal and arbitrary taxes from the travelers. These checkpoints were also used to detain young boys and beautiful women for sexual misuse and rape. During the course of this brutality, lawlessness, and war that lasted for four years, over 50,000 Afghans were killed and thousands of others were crippled, kidnaped, raped, and tortured.

After the Communists were defeated, the people of Afghanistan, tired of almost 14 years war and suffering, expected their political leaders to resolve their differences in a civil and Islamic way, and use their authority and energy for the reconstruction of the destroyed land. The people of Afghanistan rightfully expected that those leaders fulfil the promise they had made to them, and to the world, regarding restoring peace, security, and liberty that were destroyed by the evil forces of Communism. The people of Afghanistan hoped that those who claimed their leadership succeed in establishing a true Islamic Emirate capable of restoring justice and equality in the country.

Unfortunately, all these expectations, aspirations, and hopes were shattered, because those who took the reigns of power, after Communism was defeated, failed to set aside their differences and act in a humane, compassionate way. Realising the grand failure of their leaders, Afghans began to question the legitimacy and efficiency of the new Emirate.

The suffering took diabolic proportions. It seemed that all doors of hope were closed and the end of the spiral of violence and war was not in sight. Ordinary people began to raise their voices. Those who were victims of atrocities committed by the warlords turned their attention to those who first issued the Fatwa (religious verdict) of Jihad against the Soviets and Communists, i.e., the religious scholars, and those who led them in the prosecution of this order, i.e., the Taliban. The people began to ask: "Why our religious scholars and students, who preach justice and peace, do not do something to save us from this injustice and war?" This was an expectation and a question that could not be left unanswered by those who believe in God and whose purpose in Life is to serve His Will.

In response to this desperate plea directed to them by the innocent and suffering people of Afghanistan, the Taliban once again stood to their feet, closed their books, and came out of their Madrassah classrooms to begin the second phase of their holy Jihad against evil and corruption. The rise of the Taliban was accompanied by a Fatwa issued by the Islamic scholars of Afghanistan, confirming the legitimacy of their uprising against corruption and vice. In this way the new movement was called The Taliban Islamic Movement of Afghanistan. The paramount purpose of this movement was to stop the war of national annihilation and to liberate the people of Afghanistan from the yoke of oppression and despotism imposed upon them by the forces of evil and arrogance.

One of the first steps taken by the Taliban to put an end to the oppression in their own country took place in the Spring of 1994. A local commander in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar had kidnapped two teenage girls, shaved their heads and taken them to a military camp where they were repeatedly raped. When the local townsfolk came to Mullah Muhammad Umar to seek his assistance, he enlisted some 30 Tullab (students of Islamic Knowledge) and attacked the base. They freed the girls and hanged the commander from the barrel of a tank amidst the cheers of roaring crowds.

"We were fighting against Muslims who had gone wrong. How could we remain quiet when we could see crimes being committed against women and the poor?" Mullah Umar was to say later.

A few months later, two commanders confronted each other, also in Kandahar, in a dispute over a young boy whom both men wanted to use for homosexual sex. In the battle that ensued, many civilians were killed. Mullah Umar's group freed the boy and public appeals started coming in for the Taliban to help out in other local disputes. Mullah Umar had emerged as a 'Robin Hood' figure, helping the poor against the rapacious commanders. His love in the hearts of the people grew because he asked no reward or credit from those he helped, only demanding that they follow him to establish Shariah in the land.

Within the first two years of its existence, the Taliban Movement succeeded in eliminating the large number of looting posts or checkpoints that had made life for citizens of the country painful and intolerable. During the same period, the Taliban were able to disarm irresponsible individuals and groups and, thus, restore peace and security in more than 80 percent of the Afghan territory. After the Taleban succeeded in driving the corrupt forces of Rabani and his Military Commander, Masood, from Kabul in September 1996, they were able to establish a central administration in the capital, run by people of good faith and intention. This was the first administration in almost 20 years that was truly interested in the well-being of the citizens and trying hard to make life for them easier. Those who ran this administration were chosen on the basis of their loyalty and concern for the people, irrespective of their race, language or ethnicity.

Thus, when the Taliban Islamic Movement took the reign of political power in Kabul on 27 September 1996, and formed the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the city was in shambles, the treasury was empty, the administration was crippled, the infrastructure was ruined, and city services, such as health care, sanitation, water, electricity, telephone, and transportation were almost non-existent. Opportunities for productive and gainful employment did not exist, food and grain were in short supply, hyperinflation was out of control, and economic dependency among families was widespread. In simple words, for the overwhelming number of people who were not in one way or another attached to the regime of Mr. Rabbani, or to his self-styled commanders, life was brutish, difficult, and extremely painful. The Taliban, from the very first day of their rise, were determined to put an end to this dismal situation. Thus, after taking Kabul, they began the difficult task of rehabilitating Kabul and the rest of the country. In the pursuance of this noble objective with the Help of Allah The Almighty, they have succeeded in bringing about a number of drastic changes to Afghanistan, some of which are mentioned in the rest of this treatise.

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