The Taliban is winning over the hearts and minds of Afghans

[ECH1969]

The Taliban's comeback is not only on the battlefield, but, increasingly, in the hearts and minds of Afghans. Why? Analysts say the democratic values embodied by Afghan President Hamid Karzai haven't caught on.

Poverty here is still inescapable. So is religious intolerance. It shocked the West in March when Afghans called for the death of Abdul Rahman, a Muslim who dared convert to Christianity. In the end, Italy granted him asylum. That angered fiery clerics who said Rahman should be beheaded. Many Afghans agree.

"Freedom of religious may apply to other religions, but not to Islam," says one Afghan man. Despite some $12 billion in aid and the loss of more than 220 U.S. soldiers, many Afghan men in the street want the Taliban back. Increasingly, the Taliban is seen here as a protector of Islamic values against the invasion of Western ways.

Kabul is now dotted with luxury hotels and malls, and Afghans say they like their higher salaries, but not the crime and prostitution that are also on the rise. "We need the Taliban," one Afghan man says. "Otherwise Westerners and foreigners will corrupt our religion."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12860121/

[seriousstan]

1. Freedom of religious may apply to other religions, but not to Islam

That crazy religion of peace. Gotta love it..........no I mean it YOU HAVE TO LOVE IT!!

[eridani]

2. Embodied by Karzai?

You have to be fucking kidding! He was imposed on Afghanistan by the US; the Loya Jirga wanted the old king back (the one person who had pissed off the fewest people), and not to give so much power to warlords. Those warlords and their abuses are why the Taliban got popular in the first place.

[partylessinOhio]

3. Is this another Bush "positive?"

[msongs]

4. afghanistan = opium, which is ok under Islam these days

especially since it brings in so much money, which is the real god of many humans.

does this make george w bush an accomplice to drug trafficking? yes it does.

Msongs
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[formerrepuke]

5. .. but probably not the hearts & minds of Afghani WOMEN.. 1/2 of the

population- and their feelings and opinions seem be to taken only slightly more seriously than those of livestock.

[Quixote1818]

6. They basically see Capitalism and Western Values as a threat to

the Muslim Religion. I heard one guy on NBC news last night, say that allowing Freedom of Religion may apply to other Religions but not to the Muslim Religion. They see us as a fallen society addicted to money, power and sex like Sodom and Gomorrah, and their may be some truth to that.

We think they are screwed up and they think we are screwed up. Of course they probably want to keep their power over women.