Depiction of Taliban in Osama Movie
The Taliban are a large Sunni Islamist group of men who rule in Afghanistan. The Taliban presence in Afghanistan was densest in 1996 on through 2001. The Taliban presence/force declined in 2001 with the invasion of the U. S. military in The Middle East after the September 11 attacks. The Taliban began as a distinct group who fought alongside other mujahedeen groups during the Cold War against the Soviet Union.
In the early to late 1980’s the Cold War allowed the Taliban to rise to power. The Taliban group was set apart from other mujahedeen groups because of their focus on the learning and teaching of the Islamic faith alongside actual fighting. The film Osama written by Siddiq Barmak, provides an accurate depiction of the Taliban in Afghanistan by its in depth portrayal of the Taliban’s religious values, control, and acts of violence. The religious values of the Taliban are what form them as a group.
Anyone who wished to fight on the Taliban front would have to comply with their strict routine of prayer and study which filled their lives when they were not fighting. In the film viewers may perhaps gain this interpretation as they watched the young boys hauled off to a Taliban ran school where they prayed and studied the Qur’an in several scenes. The Taliban follow the Islamic faith very strictly sticking to traditional views and values especially towards women. The women under Taliban control cannot work, wear what they please, or come and go as they please.
The religious values learned and taught by the Taliban takes a huge toll on the everyday lives of the people who are succumbed to that way of life. The Taliban has a substantial amount of control in Afghanistan with fifty-four percent of the control being permanent. Taliban ruled areas are doomed with laws and constant terror. The women are harassed and forced to wear burkas at all times. In the film a member of the Taliban warns a husband to make his wife cover her feet in fear of other men being aroused by her feet.
The Taliban in Afghanistan gain finances through drug trafficking, kidnapping, and foreign donations. Private citizens from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, and some Persian Gulf nations are the largest contributors to the donations of the Taliban group in Afghanistan. The group was trademarked by controlling women to wear burkas, banning television, and jailing men whose beards were deemed too short. These controlling antics are depicted throughout the film. The violent nature of the Taliban is heavily present in the film Osama.
In one scene women were protesting for the right to work to provide for their families. The Taliban blasted these women and their children with water and sprayed bullets into the crowd. Several protesting women were jailed for their participation. The Taliban also participates in kidnapping as a means of financial gain. They commit high profile kidnappings for ransom to fund their terror. Finally, the Taliban has its own judicial system where many people have their lives taking away for random acts of resistance against Taliban law.
In the film one can see an American reporter sentenced to death for recording the Taliban. The Taliban conduct live stoning to death with its members and crowd. In conclusion, the Taliban’s large presence in Afghanistan has been in place for a very long time. The lifestyle of Middle Eastern women, men, and children are shaped around the ruling of the Taliban. The Taliban parade the streets and cause terror in the lives of its people. The film Osama aided with the understanding of the Taliban rule.
Viewers gain a first-hand interpretation of the hardships faced under Taliban rule and how tough it is to uphold as a family.
Citations
- Ansari, Fahad. “Understanding the Taliban Movement. ” Harakah Daily/en H 1434 (2013): n. pag. 06 Mar. 2013. Web.
- Bajoria, Jayshree. “Council on Foreign Relations. ” Backgrounder (n. d. ): n. pag. Council on Foreign Relations. 06 Oct. 2011. Web. 05 Mar. 2013.
- Fremson, Ruth. Taliban (n. d. ): n. pag. Nytimes. com. The New York Times, 10 Oct. 2012. Web. 05 Mar. 2013. <http://topics. nytimes. com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/t/taliban/index. html>.
