The role of religion in the cohesion of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan (1994-2021)

This study explores the religious factors that contributed to the cohesion of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan. It is one of the rare cases in modern times where a social movement successfully seized power twice within 25 years under entirely different circumstances. The first time was in the context of a civil war and the second came after a two-decade war against a large international coalition led by the United States. I used a qualitative method, conducting semi-structured interviews with 13 participants, including a Taliban leader, Islamists, foreign fighters, academicians, journalists, and former political prisoners. The findings showed how Islam, specifically in its traditional form contributed heavily to the cohesion of the Taliban movement more than any other social, ethnic, or political factors. The study also challenged the common view in the literature that overemphasizes the link between the Taliban and the Deobandi movement, ideologically or politically. It also highlighted that the consistency in implementing Sharia law, rather than flexibility (as some literature suggests), was one of the primary reasons for the Taliban's high recruitment capacity. The leader-centric organizational structure, rooted in the classical Islamic Emirate, and the key role of religious scholars were vital in maintaining unity, even as the movement shifted to a decentralized model. This structure also distinguished the Taliban from other movements with similar religious structures. Additionally, the study highlighted the complex interaction between foreign mujahid organizations and the Taliban, including areas of support, along with tensions and clashes. These religious factors were analyzed through Ibn Khaldun's asabiyyah theory, demonstrating its relevance for understanding similar movements.