Taliban's Interpretation and Enforcement of Sharia Law in Afghanistan
International Relations
- PYQs4
- Articles1
Background
Understanding the impact of religious extremism on governance, human rights, and international relations; analysis of different legal systems and their societal implications in conflict zones.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has established a governance system based on its strict, Deobandi-influenced interpretation of Sharia law, which serves as the foundational legal and social framework for Afghanistan. This interpretation dictates extensive restrictions on public life, particularly for women, and is enforced through state mechanisms like the morality police.
Facts & tables
- Taliban's return to power
- Returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
- Interpretation of Sharia
- Governs through a strict, Deobandi-influenced interpretation of Sharia, contrasting with the historically more flexible Hanafi school.
- Restrictions imposed
- Imposes extensive restrictions on women's education, employment, and public participation.
- Enforcement mechanism
- Enforced by a morality police, codified by the Law on the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (2024).
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Geopolitics & International Conflicts |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Taliban | Governs and enforces |
| United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) | Monitors and expresses concern |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Multi-statement analysis
Prelims angle: Factual recall
- Taliban's rule since 2021 based on strict Deobandi Sharia.
- Contrasts with traditional Hanafi school in Afghanistan.
- Severe restrictions on women's education, work, public life.
- Enforced by morality police, codified by 2024 law.
- International condemnation from UN bodies.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding |
| 2022 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2022 | Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis |
| 2016 | Statement-based questions, Factual recall |
Timeline
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Geopolitics & International Conflicts
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2016
Statement-based questions, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2022
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
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Prelims 2022
Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis
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Prelims 2023
Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding
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How Herat defied the Taliban regime, chanting ‘women, work and freedom’
The Taliban's rule in Afghanistan is defined by its rigid Sharia interpretation, leading to severe human rights abuses, especially against women, and international condemnation.
See also
Past papers
2016–2023 · 3 questions
In the news
How Herat defied the Taliban regime, chanting ‘women, work and freedom’
The Taliban's rule in Afghanistan is defined by its rigid Sharia interpretation, leading to severe human rights abuses, especially against women, and international condemnation.
Try these PYQs
With reference to the “United Nations Credentials Committee”, consider the following statements:
1. It is a committee set up by the UN Security Council and works under its supervision.
2. It traditionally meets in March, June and September every year.
3. It assesses the credentials of all UN members before submitting a report to the General Assembly for approval.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect. The United Nations Credentials Committee is a committee of the United Nations General Assembly. Statement 2 is incorrect. A Credentials Committee is appointed at the beginning of each regular session of the General Assembly. It consists of nine members, who are appointed by the General Assembly on the proposal of the President. Statement 3 is correct. The Committee reports to the Assembly on the credentials of representatives. The Committee is mandated to examine the credentials of representatives of Member States and to report to the General Assembly thereon (Rule 28 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly). The credentials of representatives and the names of members of the delegation of each Member State are submitted to the Secretary-General and are issued either by the Head of the State or Government or by the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Rule 27 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly).
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I: Recently, the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU) have launched the 'Trade and Technology Council'
Statement-II: The USA and the EU claim that through this they are trying to begin technological progress and physical productivity under their control.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statement?
* Statement 1 is correct: Trade and Technology Council was launched by the the United States of America and the European Union during the EU-US Summit on 15 June 2021 in Brussels. * Statement 2 is incorrect: Trade and Technology council, the USA and EU does not aim to bring technological progress and physical productivity under their control. Rather the initiative intends to promote pooling of digital resources such as AI models and computing power, and make them available to partner countries to address challenges in areas such as climate change and extreme weather, healthcare or smart agriculture.
Consider the following statements regarding the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS):
1. The summit held in 2015 marked the third edition of the IAFS.
2. The IAFS mechanism was instituted under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1951.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is correct: The Third India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-III) was hosted in New Delhi in October 2015. The first and second summits were held in 2008 (New Delhi) and 2011 (Addis Ababa), respectively, making the 2015 event the third edition. Statement 2 is incorrect: The India-Africa Forum Summit was institutionalized in 2008 to serve as the official platform for African-Indian relations. While Jawaharlal Nehru was a pioneer of Afro-Asian solidarity (e.g., the Asian Relations Conference of 1947), the IAFS is a distinct 21st-century initiative and was not established in 1951.
Consider the following:
1. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
2. Missile Technology Control Regime
3. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
India is a member of which of the above?
India is a member of all the Organizations mentioned. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: SCO has 10 full members: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan (founding members), India, Pakistan (joined 2017), Iran (joined 2023), and Belarus (joined 2024). Missile Technology Control Regime: India became a full member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) on June 27, 2016, becoming the 35th partner country and strengthening international efforts to prevent the spread of missile technology. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank: India joined the AIIB as a founding member in 2015, signing the Articles of Agreement on June 29, 2015, in Beijing, becoming one of the 50 initial signatories to establish the multilateral development bank. India is the second-largest shareholder in the AIIB after China.