Taliban and Daesh: Religious Creed and Militant Groups in Afghanistan

In Western media, Afghanistan is frequently portrayed as a hotbed of radical Islamist movements. Prominent examples are the Taliban and Al Qaeda present in the country since the 1990s and which have become known throughout the globe as symbols of religiously inspired violent extremist groups. While these armed groups in opposition to the Western-backed Afghan government have monopolized the language of religion to legitimize their aspirations and claims, the appearance of Daesh in Afghanistan in the summer of 2014 has added a new and significant dimension to the dynamic. Daesh poses a serious threat to the Taliban not only militarily and as an emerging rival for state sovereignty but as a competitor in defining visions and methods for political change and organization as well as in defining the everyday practices and beliefs of Afghan Sunni Muslims1. Arguably, the main challenge which Daesh presents to the Taliban goes beyond the Islamic State’s organizational life cycle in Iraq and Syria, and lies in the growing number of Salafi jihadists among the Afghan youth. This development is the result of an ongoing transformation of the Afghan religious landscape, the fragmentation of the Sunni Muslim community and the growing importance of transnational networks, money and ideas in shaping local political economies in a globalizing world..