And you didn’t think there was a soft side to the Taliban.
A controversial new book has hit shelves in Great Britain that contains poetry written by members of the group or authors who seem quite romantically devoted to it. It's titled, appropriately enough, "Poetry of the Taliban."
The spot on my heart makes a candle like the sun
To watch the earth and skies with.
That’s just a taste of the verse two Western researchers stumbled on while perusing the Taliban’s web site. Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn, who have been living in Afghanistan for years, found the trove while they were working on a project called Afghanwire, an online resource they created to help foreigners understand what everyday Afghans were doing.
They noticed that new poems kept popping up on the Taliban’s site and kept clicking to find poems dating to the 1990s. They asked around to see if anyone was bothering to translate them to English.
No one was, so their translator went to work.
“The poems seemed part of our understanding of who the Taliban were. They meshed with what we’ve seen living in Kandahar – that it wasn’t enough to believe that the Taliban are fighting simply out of religious fervor,” Kuehn said. “There was a lot more to these guys.”
Beyond fighting, the poets penned odes to love, and to Afghanistan. They wrote about corruption in government and about NGOs that are failing to really help Afghans. They ruminated on money, loss of life, being a refugee and beauty.
There was a sun escorting your beauty
There was a moon with you and a great army of stars.
The ignorance of the dark turned to light when you came;
The army accompanying you dug into the chest of darkness.
Several of the poems sound like lines that Sacha Baron Cohen might say in his new movie “The Dictator.”
Your love aside, what else is there?
It is like approaching the desert.
Like the dust on your footsteps.
Look! The crazy one lay down.
Other poems are a little more direct:
I will murder all the enemies of your religion and prosperity,
I will gradually make you the holy necklace of Asia.
Response among Afghans to the book has been split, the researchers said.
“A lot of people thought it was strange that it was a couple foreigners working on a book about poetry by talibs [the Arabic word for students of Islam],” Strick van Linschoten said. “The feedback in intellectual circles in Kabul is [some think] that it’s great that we’re showing the international community another side to the Taliban.” Others in Kabul, they say, disagree with the book's publication.
Meanwhile, outside of Afghanistan, there has been other criticism of the researchers for publishing the words of the Taliban and giving a platform for the Islamist militant group.
Richard Kemp, a former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, calls the poetry propaganda, reports The Guardian:
"What we need to remember is that these are fascist, murdering thugs who suppress women and kill people without mercy if they do not agree with them, and of course are killing our soldiers," Kemp said. "It doesn't do anything but give the oxygen of publicity to an extremist group which is the enemy of this country."
The book's editors say the poetry provides insights into the group.
“They’ve said, ‘How can you publish the poems of people who have created problems for me and my ethnic group?’” Kuehn said. “One of my favorite questions is, ‘How can you humanize the Taliban?’ I always say, ‘They are human, right?’"
The researchers said they were able to meet at least one poet in real life – a university student.
“They are not demons from an outside world,” Kuehn continued. “Right or wrong. Agree or disagree with them. Hate them if you want, but they are still human.”
What do you think? Share your comments below
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I guess underneath all that bravado, there is a feminine side!
Implying writing poems is a feminine feature
Nonsense! Writing poems has nothing to do with feminity.
History has seen literature in general and poetry in particular offer a platform to evoke desire for freedom and peace.
Alexander Pushki, the most important Russian poet, whose poems and odes had been a source of comfort for many Russians under dictatorship. His Ode, "To Liberty" inspired demonstrators in Moscow recently – "Now, flighty Fortune's favoured knaves, Tremble, O Tyrants of the Earth! But you: take heed now, know your worth And rise as men, O fallen slaves!"
The Kazakh Abai Kunanbayev and the Uzbek poet Chulpon were also known for poems that liberated the minds of people who face different forms of totalitarianism. Their anthems of liberty mobilised people to fight against tyranny and dictatorship. Today they are still a source of inspiration.
That the Taliban write poems themselves is interesting. It's unclear whether some of those gracefully expressive, romantically beautiful, or elevated and uplifting verses had really been penned by blood-thirsty insurgents. No doubt these fighters are human beings, like any of us and have feelings and sentiments too.
The two researchers are Europeans – Germans to be exact. They can afford to do what they are doing without getting into trouble. Were they Brits, they would have the MI 6 on their heels.
please read: Alexander PUSHKIN.
Von Hettlingen, I was worried. Fortunately you corrected the spelling for Pushkin. It was rather atypical, in your case.
or please read: Taras Shevchenko.
hey zarkov i think he was joking. omg what a moron
poetry is a huge part of their culture in a way their hole lifes revolve around poetry it goes thousands of years back matter effect just couple of hundreds of years ago their bigest war lords kings were some really well known poiets and no it has nothing to do with feminity fool they use poetry as a way of vision as their strugle so 1 day when they are gone people will still remember them in those poiems and feel proud of them and what they did for their people!! if u think that it is related to feminen in any way then u must be the bigest fruit cake ur self who is not coming acrose to admit he likes it up the baty!!
Try the period key once and a while.
Read your grammar text. Please.
Please spell check before you post its poems not poiems ! holy grammar
What are you even trying to imply? Just because these people can write poetry does not mean that they have a "soft side." A soft side would most definitely prevent you from going out against the people's will and shooting and down burning people's faces.
Who CARES! Enough of this liberal nonsense! They might whisper sweet nothings in your ear at night to only stab you in the back in the morning! This entire culture is riddled with atrocities, deceit, and things so inhumane they not need be mentioned. I know where they can put that book, right next to the couple they just STONED TO DEATH!
Omar had a little bomb,
which he found filled the need
for getting rid of all the people
with whom he disagreed.
Omar let the bomb go off
without the proper care.
Now we're finding little bits
of Omar everywhere.
Oh, yes, very, very funny, ho, ho. Now ver do you lief?
Omar had a little bomb,
which he found out was made in the USA
for getting rid of all the people
with whom big Uncle Sam disagreed.
Omar did nt the bomb go off
as he did not know how to.
Now we're finding little bits
of Omar after someone pressed a button at nato.
that don't rhyme
My name is Omar, you racist turd. I'm as American as you are.
gehnjis, how lame! those US bombs are they only thing that kept hitler from smoking your grandparents.
Brilliant!
I challenge Radical Islam to better this one.
)
Roses are of red
The violet, they are blue
You woman try to go a school
I throw a acid on you!!
or even better!
Roses are of red
The violet, they are blue
You woman try to go to school
After we ve bombed to death your husband, yoohoo!!
Far worse. You lack the concept of rhyme and meter.
Example of how you ruin poems:
Mary had a little lamb
its fleece was white as snow
everywhere Mary went
the sheep would walk on its four legs and look around occasionally saying 'baa'.
"There once was a suicide bomber from Gloucester..........". Just don't sound right.
They don't seem to me to be wonderful people, who've achieved laudable goals. Perhaps it would be PC to say they're less human than the other 7 billion-plus inhabitating the earth.
A bomb is flush with my flesh and colon
ready to strike fast like I've gone bowling
Hey girl, call me
Boom!!!
I think it's really excellent to see the quiet power of poetry–regardless of the Taliban element. We're talking hear about poetry as a security threat, and poetry as a way of bringing nuance to a heated situation. I don't think we should resist seeing the details that psychologically make up the people we are fighting.
Perhaps we need a book of poetry written by service members as well.
Ever wonder, why do we talk or obsessed about the Taliban so much. Perhaps coz we could never defeat em !
we are not obsessed with taliban. taliban are just something our government fights overseas with weapons we manufacture here in lala land. most of us have never seen a taliban, nor ever will. its just a moniker. taliban, commie, chinese, vietnamese, whatever, whoever. as long as we have a job building weapons of mass destruction, that helps pay our mortgage, and mcD's supersizer, who cares. Taliban, Shaliban, Waliban. Whatever the Pentagon says, we believe.
They are pretty real. Watched them kill US soldiers just the other day. Watched one bleed out after I put a couple rounds in his chest. DIrty civilians, you think this is all a game, haha.
Speak for yourself! I believe what I want, not what someone tells me. Your comment is a sign of a weak mind!
@anon...how anal!
I've spoken in depth with many Taliban. They're not boogeymen as you would have them be.
Many of them are people who have no other way to feed their families, and are manipulated by
others. That doesn't, however, condone the killing.
go back to your beauty tips Jane, you don't belong here.
Lets admit it. They are smart !
they aren't smart, and you aren't either
tee hee
Now we're going to see a lot of right-wing nitwits here try to minimize the soft side of the Taliban. Who says that the Afghans can't be just as poetic as the French although the French are great at it??
Hey, Hitler painted. So, Taliban poetry? Sure, why not? Every Dr. Evil needs a hobby to take the mind off all the death and suffering they desire to inflict on Innocents.
Didn't we do the same thing over there, Possum? Of course we did!
There once was a prophet from Nantucket...
where be built bombs by the bucket
then those bombs would be shipped overseas
where they would help turn some family into fleas
Shortest poem is about fleas:
Adam had'em.
Shortest minimalist poem about fleas: .
Amidst the chaos, and the deluge of horrible sounds of accusation, and the clamour of the high priest of politics to demand that we all think and see a certain way, it is beautiful, beautiful that beyond the word 'Taliban' we have, as we all are, human beings. Above and beyond the violence and hatred we impose on one another–the truth–words of our loneliness, longing and vastness. Our loving. I imagine for the secular fundamentalists and dualist, to accept the humanity of the so named other comes as a horrible shock. Viva humanity.
_(<3)_
Odi et amo... Catullus 85, circa 59 BC (?).
Humans are social animals with basic needs (survival and propagation of species). In our natural form and environment, there are almost no reasons to commit murder or suicide. Even in modern society and civilization, there are almost no justifiable reasons to commit murder or suicide. Yet every day people are killing others, and people are killing themselves. You can hate, and you can love. And so can I. But it makes no sense to go around killing other people... unless it were absolutely necessary to protect yourself, your family, your home, and loved ones. And anyone who would attack these things without valod justification does not only deserve hatred, but perhaps even death...... regardless of your religion, beliefs, race, ethnicity, or nationality.
allah akbar they cry
and there fellow brothers die
allah allah allah
if only we read the koran with love in our hearts
would we practice kindness
and not blindness
BEAUTIFUL...and true, wisdom in simplistic words..not a spouting of ignorant, prejudice. If you are not a poet, you should be!
The word you want is "simple" not "simplistic". Please use a dictionary!
You are correct. The problem is that most Afghanis are illiterate,
and interpretations of the Koran are verbally ministered to them.
"What we need to remember is that these are fascist, murdering thugs who suppress women and kill people without mercy if they do not agree with them, and of course are killing our soldiers," Kemp said. "It doesn't do anything but give the oxygen of publicity to an extremist group which is the enemy of this country."
If you call a book of poems propaganda, then what do you call this? Taliban are the sons of farmers and refugees, going up against the best-trained, best-equipped fighting force in the world with whatever meager resources they can muster. America's true enemy in Afghanistan is its own hubris.
Insurgent forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan do not survive on meager resources. Defeating these bas tards and developing the necessary authority in Afghanistan to stand on its own and Pakistan to maintain its fragile democracy is heavily reliant on reducing the access to money and manpower.
Although no one really knows how much money is coming into the insurgency’s coffers or precisely where it’s coming from, the theory is that the drug trade and crimes like protecting processing labs and collecting payoffs are regarded as the largest source of money estimated at approximately $500 million a year. The other significant funding source – donations from outside the countries – is equally shadowy.
Unfortunately, at the moment, the leaders of our country are not our friends...
LIAR
Where do I buy the book? It'd be great to have more insight into who the Taliban are. If they are poets, there is hope that we can all figure out how to live together in peace. They come from a long line of poets and mathematicians, so it's entirely possible. Maybe if we quit air bombing their children to death, and burning their Qu'rans, we could find some common ground.
Flame on, as you are already doing, it makes it interesting, even as it solves absolutely nothing.
Bab
If you find out, please let me know where to buy the book!
hey Bab, I agree with you 100%. why the US is not letting them to have a platform, because they want to keep their people in the dark. they do not want the world to know the truth. you might have heard about the soldier who killed and burned the bodies of 17 children and women, it is their daily routine but never shown in TVs,because most of the time they don't let the media near the site. if defending your land and family is terrorism then let it be. George Washington and other freedom fighters were terrorists for British empire in the 18th century while fighting for their rights, but now Americans are proud of them. A Rahman Kabul Afghanistan
Go Smokey! Astute observations.
Wow. who said the Taliban are soft because they write poetry? Have you guys read history?
From what I've read, poetry is the powerful, educated man's territory in history, as he secretly asks his wife's opinion. Seriously, arabian poets are men of strength and power historically.
If poetry is the realm of the soft, read some modern American female poetry, it's packed with subverted anger and aggression. Personally, I wouldn't mess with a poet.
Our words are what help us to understand and to live together in peace.
Proud to be an American, even if some of our tribe don't yet know where and when to pee,
Bab
There was a form of expression at one time called samurai death poetry. As samurai lay dying, they sometimes had a moment or two to dash off a bit of wisdom to a pal who would later put the words to parchment. My favorite:
"He knows not the taste of blowfish who has never tasted blowfish."
Okay. Perhaps it's an acquired taste.
Similarly, I would totally buy a book filled with the haikus that Taliban suicide bombers wrote just before blowing their guts out for God, killing a bunch of their innocent countrymen and a few cops. I can see it now...
"I see the desert.
So many soon to snuff it.
This vest is itchy."
And if it were one of those new underwear bombs ? Perhaps "I'll spell your doom, with my Fruit of Kaboom !"
Very creative RZ.
...and when my blood stains...hit against the window pane...I'll think of NATO troops again...and hide from you, and hide from you...
Old MacDonald had a farm,
Ee i ee i oh!
And on that farm he had some chickens,
Ee i ee i oh!
With a cluck-cluck here,
And a cluck-cluck there
Here a cluck, there a cluck,
Everywhere a cluck-cluck
Old MacDonald had a farm
Ee i ee i oh!
roses are red
the sky is blue
the drone is high
and the death is below
the Taliban fought the Russian
and now the NATO too
Osama has gone
and it should be over soon
Note that the Taliban are only one faction of the Mujahideen
who fought the Russians.
Your point?
...run...Taliban run...did that hole...forget the sun...when at last the work is done...don't sit down it's time to dig another one...for a while you're still alive...and no matter how you hide...we see you from up very high...standing in any old place...it quickly becomes your personal grave......
Here goes another right-wing nutjob decrying the Taliban, just like I said above. Some 30 years ago the same nutjobs were decrying the Russians who were fighting the Taliban themselves. How times have changed! Let's just get out of that country since we don't belong there in the first place!
Taliban Haiku! We need Taliban Haiku!
The Taliban walk,
Wearing their suicide vests,
Pop go the martyrs.
After world-war II it was common in movies to show the nazies as certain monsters. They were 'evil' – military and furious, commanding everybody and bloodily killing jews and foreigners. But in 'Schindlers List' about 30 years later there is suddenly somebody else shown – a miracle! How could a Nazis be different from a stereotye? Seeing the video of CNN about Bin Laden it is very helpful to get an inside look, see his private life and how people start to get violent and don't only think their deadly impulses, but take a gun and do it! It's our ignorance, our blind eye, that we don't want to listen, share or have any interests in people with a different view, that's able to radicalise soon! Evil doesn't exit in reality, but if evil things happens, people often don't recognize them as such, prefer to do nothing. Poetry of Taliban should be published openly, maybe there is a Goethe among them – and critized if its content harm others! Seeing Mladic in Den Haag, doesn't bring dead people to life again, but is a lesson for us to learn, whom we have to fight against and that humanity is always something that is in danger of getting lost!
Where is the common interest in an intervention in Syria? Just a little pressure to Assad, again, and again?
Lower level debate:
Taliban was the top U.S secret sharing groups, during the war with Russia. I don't really know what and why the BREAKDOWN happened, Specially, in 9/11.
Higher level debate:
Some groups or some Countries, must be real CROOKED and MINIAC, when they choose to go to war with America. They are just wishing to have a break between the Lions Teeth.
I tell you what, America is not just One race or only One Country. For those of you, who still don't know What America means, pay attention and read just your own History. For others, who are still confused and will try to start trouble with Flames, Oh! My!, good luck. Soon you will be a dust bin!!!!!!!!!
AMERICA means, the whole World, including some Space Stations.
A group of political factionists incited by the United States government to threaten Jews globally and then force American Judeo-Christian soldiers to rebuild their nations and fund the construction of their infrastructure?
Ah yes – progress in America.
Peace to all – "co-exist" everyone!
Just remember to check under your car before climbing in!!!!
Have a great day.
Taliban are against humanity and the book of God. They killed so many people that no one in the history commited such crime against huamnity. All Taliban are Criminals and should be punished.
Are the Taliban truly any worse that the right-wing thugs in Washington? What about the fact the we invaded their country and killed many of their friends and relatives? The bottom line here is that we have no right to be in their country!
No one, eh?
I guess the Crusades and the Inquisition, and the settling of the Americas didn't actually ever happen...
Do you know where Taliban belong to. For your kind information, Taliban invaded to Afghanistan. Taliban are not belong to Afghanistan. All of them came from other countries and supported as well. American did not invaded Afghanistan, but afghan government asked American help to remove the disease from Afghanistan but still war is not ended and taliban still breath like coward by killing inncent women and children. Brain wash young boys and turn them to be criminals..
Women in Afghanistan were educated and employed prior to the Taliban control, especially in the capital city Kabul. For example, 50% of the students and 60% of the teachers at Kabul University were women. In addition 70% of school teachers, 50% of civilian government workers, and 40% of doctors in Kabul were women.
The Taliban claimed to follow a pure, fundamentalist Islamic ideology, yet the oppression they perpetrated against women had no basis in Islam. Within Islam, women are allowed to earn and control their own money, and to participate in public life. The 55-member Organization of Islamic Conference refused to recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan's official government. The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, regarded by many as an ultraconservative organization, denounced the Taliban's decrees.
The Taliban, an extremist militia, seized control first of Herat (1994) and then Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, on September 27, 1996 and violently plunged Afghanistan into a brutal state of totalitarian dictatorship and gender apartheid in which women and girls were stripped of their basic human rights.
The Taliban is comprised of young men and boys of Afghan descent who have hardly lived in Afghan society. They were raised in refugee camps and trained in ultraconservative religious schools (madrassas) in Pakistan . Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates were the only countries that granted the Taliban regime of Afghanistan official recognition.
More accurately, most are Pashto.
If one in so many of us can turn into a Talib (Sing. of Taliban) one man among so many Taliban can trun into a poet. Whats wrong with that?
Now there's a book they'll be reading out loud in hell.
"Said the Raven, Nevermore" ! Edgar Allan Poe would have been mighty proud. Perhaps this sets forth some common ground for the talibans and the americans/nato to communicate with each other.
"Once upon a Kabul dreary, while the americans/nato pondered exit and weary.....
While Ithey nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at their bunker door.
"'Tis some visiter," they muttered, "tapping at our bunker door —
Only this and nothing more."
Quoth the talibans......Nevermore.......
We come in peace and nothing more..only in peace and nothing more...
To begin negotiations and maybe more...to facilitate withdrawal and maybe more
Quoth the talibans, Nevermore".
And thus began the love fest over a cuppa tea
And everyone lived happily after..and much much more
Quoth the talibans and americans...Nevermore."
Oh, how nice that the Taliban have a hobby. After all, it's so important to have something to relax you after a hard day at work decapitating people, marrying nine year-old girls, beating wives, burning schools, you know, those sorts of things... the next thing we'll hear is that the Taliban are misunderstood.
one has to question the source of this "poetry". it seems unlikely that people who throw acid into little girls faces for going to school, burn down those schools and poison the wells, would or could write romantic poetry worth reading. more likely this poetry was written by persians, jews, secular arabs or anyone but a "taliban".
Oh Taliban, Oh Taliban,
Your body parts are in the garbage can,
You strap the bombs to your body in vein,
The only good is you will feel no pain,
If you think Allah will give you women of choice
You've been sold a bad bill of goods from an evil voice
So water the camels and kick up the sand
You're a distorted breed Oh Taliban Oh Taliban
Beautiful! I had to copy it so that I may read it from time to time. All I could come up with is...
Roses are red violets are blue
death to America
I kill you (by Akkkkhhhhhmed the dead terrorist)
"I think women are so cool,
I will love them 'til I die,
but they should not go to school.
I will kill them if they try."
Murder poetry, not people.
I like it! Butchered metaphors, tortured phrases.
Actually, many Pashto have a thing for boys...
Your point??
Taliban haiku: Kill kil kil kill kill murder murder murder death death death death (send $)
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Kiss your butt good-bye
Because I will kill you!
Bipolar type 2 policy of good ol' US and A. Now Taliban became, as nytimes eloquently put it " moderate insurgents". Is there such thing as moderate insurgent? Also how do they consider which insurgent moderate and which one is radical ? If one kills X number of US soulders ? Or if one murders innocents in the suicidal attack ? Now our moderate insurgents write poems! They must be a somewhat good guys, I mean, they didn't slaughter our sons and daughters, or two many of them....let us negotiate with moderate insurgents. Rumsfeld was wrong when he told us that " this enemy can not be contained, appeased or negotiated with, this enemy must be destroyed."
Yep, I still hate them.
I love Taliban. Such peaceful, loving, generous people. Their philosophy respects women. They embrace other religions (Buddhists Jewish, and christian). I hope they can rule Afghanistan again and establish a heaven on Earth in Afghanistan which will be inspired by their poetry and envied by all other nations.
You're kidding, right?
yeah abu talib, u r right... if they get the power they can rule all the world as the history says and its clear,
afghans are clever people.....
The Taliban’s use of children as suicide bombers in Afghanistan is an egregious affront to humanity. There has been an alarming increase since 2011 of suicide bombings, and attempted suicide bombings, by children. Younger and younger children have been involved. Children, as young as 7, have reported that they were deployed as suicide bombers. Surviving children who trained as suicide bombers describe having been given amulets containing verses from the Quran that they were told would protect them from the explosion. They said they were told that when the bomb they carried detonated, everyone around them would die but they would survive.
Your post looks like word-for-word copy of the 'human rights watch' article on hw.org. Are you plagiarizing? You can at least give credit to human rights watch.
“Any political movement or army that manipulates or coerces children into becoming human bombs has lost touch with basic humanity.”
Brad Adams
Recent incidents of suicide bombing involving children include:
•On June 26, an 8-year-old girl was killed in central Uruzgan province when a bag of explosives that the Taliban had instructed her to carry to a police checkpoint detonated.
•On May 20, in Nuristan province, a suicide vest strapped to a 12-year-old boy exploded prematurely, killing several suspected insurgents, including the boy.
•In early May, five children, all under age 13, from Logar and Ghazni provinces who had allegedly been trained as suicide bombers were arrested by the National Directorate of Security.
•Around May 3, a 14-year-old boy who said he had been coerced by the Taliban into carrying a bomb under threat that he would otherwise have his hand cut off surrendered to international troops in Ghazni province.
•On May 1, a 12-year-old boy blew himself up in a bazaar in the Barmal district of eastern Paktika province, killing four civilians and wounding 12 others.
•On April 13, in Kunar province, an explosive vest detonated by a 13-year-old boy killed 10 people, including 5 schoolboys.
This post looks like word-for-word copy of the 'human rights watch' article on hw.org. Are you plagiarizing? You can at least give credit to human rights watch.
Poetry by the Taliban, that's sort of like the sequel to "Springtime for Hitler....lol....
The Special Rapporteur's attention has been drawn to the Ordinance on the Women's Veil, which is reported to have been issued by a nine-member professional committee of the High Court of the Islamic State of Afghanistan and which reads as follows:
"A denier of veil is an infidel and an unveiled woman is lewd".
"Conditions of wearing veil:
1. The veil must cover the whole body.
2. Women's clothes must not be thin.
3. Women's clothes must not be decorated and colourful.
4. Women's clothes must not be narrow and tight to prevent the seditious limbs from being noticed. The veil must not be thin.
5. Women must not perfume themselves. If a perfumed woman passes by a crowd of men, she is considered to be an adulteress.
6. Women's clothes must not resemble men's clothes.
"In addition,
1. They must not perfume themselves.
2. They must not wear adorning clothes.
3. They must not wear thin clothes.
4. They must not wear narrow and tight clothes.
5. They must cover their entire bodies.
6. Their clothes must not resemble men's clothes.
7. Muslim women's clothes must not resemble non-Muslim women's clothes.
8. Their foot ornaments must not produce sound.
9. They must not wear sound-producing garments.
10. They must not walk in the middle of streets.
11. They must not go out of their houses without their husband's permission.
12. They must not talk to strange men.
13. If it is necessary to talk, they must talk in a low voice and without laughter.
14. They must not look at strangers.
15. They must not mix with strangers."
"I"LL NEVER RETURN"
- a poem by Meena
I'm the woman who has awoken
I've arisen and become a tempest through the ashes of my burnt children
I've arisen from the rivulets of my brother's blood
My nation's wrath has empowered me
My ruined and burnt villages fill me with hatred against the enemy,
I'm the woman who has awoken,
I've found my path and will never return.
I've opened closed doors of ignorance
I've said farewell to all golden bracelets
Oh compatriot, I'm not what I was
I'm the woman who has awoken
I've found my path and will never return.
I've seen barefoot, wandering and homeless children
I've seen henna-handed brides with mourning clothes
I've seen giant walls of the prisons swallow freedom in their ravenous stomach
I've been reborn amidst epics of resistance and courage
I've learned the song of freedom in the last breaths, in the waves of blood and in victory
Oh compatriot, Oh brother, no longer regard me as weak and incapable
With all my strength I'm with you on the path of my land's liberation.
My voice has mingled with thousands of arisen women
My fists are clenched with the fists of thousands of compatriots
Along with you I've stepped up to the path of my nation,
To break all these sufferings, all these fetters of slavery,
Oh compatriot, Oh brother, I'm not what I was
I'm the woman who has awoken
I've found my path and will never return.
Nice.
I'm the writer of this story and I'm enjoying the commenters' poetry. I want to see more. Keep it going, c'mon!
I make women wear burkas – and cut off head
Throw acid on faces – and cut off a head
The joy of Sharia is – to cut off a head
I love the jihad – and to cut off a head
kill the infidel – and cut off a head
the west is barbaric! so cut off a head!
“They are not demons from an outside world,” Kuehn continued.
Right!! They are demons of this world.
Bravo. Let's give them the Pulitzer with a bomb attached to it.
Challenge: Muhammed limerick contest
Taliban poetry my a$$....these dufuses probably just broadcast the next instructions to the sleeper cells. Just like "two sticks, a dash, and a cake with a stick down" was the code to tell the terrorists when to implement the 9/11 plot. Thanks for translating it and publishing it all. Idiots.
Gee whiz, I never seen so many mouth-pieces for the right-wing thugs in Washington as I see here! I wonder just how many of these bozoes ever got past the 5 th grade in school. I doesn't appear to be too many judging by these ignorant rants here!
Yet, I keep seeing your support of these islamists in every discussion.
LET'S NOT FORGET THAT THE TALIBAN WAS CREATED AND AIDED BY THE UNITED STATES
We're so stupid all we can remember is who shot JR.
Speak for yourself!
Muslims are all about peace until Bush stopped aiding bin Laden dan bin.Laden attacked NOT MUSLIMS BUT BIN LADEN, I AM A MUSLIM PROUD LIVING IN AMERICA PROUD, HATE THE GOVERMENT YES LIKE 90% OF THE POPULATION HERE IN AMERICA DO, MUSLIMS WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED CUZ THEY HAVE FAITH YES AND LOTS OF FAITH IN GOD, U GUYS ATTACK OUR COUNTRIES AND UR GRAVES HAVE ALREADY BEEN DUG FOR U WHO FIGHT.AND KILL INNOCENT WOMAN AND KIDS IN PALESTINE, AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ AND SO ON.
Well said, mike and I completely agree with you. Just ignore these ignoramuses here who bash the Taliban!
We do not hate the government. If you hate it , then leave and go back to your stinking desert.
Glad you are a proud American Mike, but America is a country built on humanist principals not religious drivel. Five wars were fought in this country prior to the creation of the American Republic and all used religion as their base. That's why the Founding Fathers took religion out of government. Muslim, Christian, & Jewish messianics & fanatics may have brought it back but there are some of us who understand the separation of Church & State is more important than the pet peeves of any single group.
Rex, don't you remember right after 9/11 Bush, the son said on CNN that were are chosen by God to fight evil. isn't it religious war?
The three faiths we call Abrahamic
(The Christian, Judaic, Islamic)
Never seem to agree
So they fight endlessly.
Alas, it's a trying dynamic.
that was from Bill Cernansky.
sorry forgot to attribute
In Tehran there's a popular comic
Who jokes about matters Islamic.
The name of his show,
Ayatollah You So,
Marks a sea change approaching tsunamic.
By Chris Doyle
So they managed not to get kidnapped by agreeing to publish the Taliban material in english.
I have to find the will to carry on
On with the -
When you thought you've seen it all...
What next, "Taliban Limericks"?
Dont most of those languages all the words end in the same sound? How much skill is really required to write poetry about killin people . Apparently not much if they can do it.
Ironic how people so completely ignorant have such expansive egos that they think they know more than anyone else.
:-0)
You can see that svann, by the way they keep bashing the Taliban. How many of these people even have first hand knowledge of Afghanistan? Evidently not many!
We do not have to be in Afghanistan to see that these so-called human beings are evil and in alliance with Shatan.
hahaha!
Great, we sissified them just like we set out to do. Let's pull out now.
According to Muslims, the Koran is perfect that only God could have made it. Salman Rushdie in his book "The Satanic Verses" ...of the KORAN totally disagrees with this assumption. Islamic religious poetry is completely disconnected from reality.
This article shows the ignorance of the writer and Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn- the guys who discovered the so called 'Taliban Poetry'.
The poems are traditional Pashtun poetry called 'landai' and has been around for centuries- it is not exclusive to Taliban which the article alludes to.
I vote to hang every single one of the Taliban for everything they have done and continue to do- even if they are human, but the poetry is very nice and a lot is lost in translation such as when it is compared to Sacha Baron Cohen- this is again our western ignorance.
W.
It is easier to be a bandit than to be a productive member of society. If only the media can control their urges and start ignoring the Taliban. If you stop reporting about these fools, they will cease to exist, no matter how brutal their tactics are to gain attention. Can people still remember Aesops Fables? Boycott the book.
You would like us to allow these so-called human beings to act with impunity?
they don't need your permission..... stop 'em if you can.
Working on it.
Are you joining them?
one smart fellow he felt smart two smart fellows they both felt smart. say it fast
They are still murderers and thugs.
I am a fat Amerikan, i come from Kentucky
I used to do some fuky fuky
now no more, as i am sore
Taliban kick my butty
I call air support, i run
when i see Taliban under the sun
this is no fun
Nah, you're just another stupid dirt-eater.
I am a fat Amerikan, i come from Kentucky
I used to do some fuky fuky
Taliban kick my butty
now no more as i am sore
when i see Taliban under the sun
I call air support, i run
this is no fun
Not bad, a limerick followed by a haiku.
You Taliban or something?
think you stupid fat useless amerikan who lost the war
I had your mom in Helmand
your sis in Kabul too
and you done sassed
your Khyber Pass
with donkeys, dogs–Petoo!
My reaction would be similar to someone who wanted to publish newly discovered poems and paintings from Joseph Stalin or A. Hit ler or Jeffrey Dahmer to demonstrate that they had a soft side and were humans. Yes they were humans - however their extreme depravity disqualifies their creative side.
I am not writing from a perspective of ignorance - I work with Afghan refugees and even have a former Taliban friend who studies at the university in our city - and my wife right now is supporting traumatized women who were tortured - and worse - by Taliban humans.
I am giving away certified copy 60/200 of the limited edition of my poetry book "The Balderdash Sessions". You may find more info at http://www.vienneycarpentier.org.
If you are interested in reading it, then giving it to another person so it can travel the world, feel free to write to me. My contact info is on my webpage.
Poetry is insight.
Vienney.
With a lot of poets, its all about them and nothing about anybody else.
in America , the fastest growing religion is ISLAM with or without the TALIBAN. save your butt if u can, u filthy pig eating man
The poetry was lovely.
Live waves in motion.
While the Taliban has commited horrible atrocities, it is still a good idea to have an understanding of our enemies. Nobody is truly good or truly evil, so it is important to see both sides. However, we can't lose sight of the vastly larger bad side. It is also important to see the good side of Islam and the people of the Middle East. We can not simply see the small bad side (ex. the Taliban, jihadists, etc). The jihad is the real danger, radicals are the ones that cause conflicts. Most Muslims are normal people (I am a Christian and I have family in the Middle East, we don't hate each other). Yes, there is intolerance and hatred toward the West, but there is just as much hypocrisy here too. Both the Koran and the Bible have a lot of violence in them, but both religions also promote love and peace. Jesus' message was very plain: love and respect others. If you are not religious, then simply remember that pointless hatred gets us nowhere. That is all I have to say.
proud to not be an American idiot
Good evening folks,
Some folks are wasting time by bashing Islam. They are wasting their own time and hurting themselves. Just think about how many messengers were sent by God to teach the world that there is no one worth of worship but God. But unfortunately most of the people did not listen – and guess what, they will be facing hell fire. Today, you and I have a chance to do some research about God. Please read Koran and understand it without being angry!!!
Poppies are red
Heroin's white
Our American profits are
Way outtta sight!
I am from Afghanistan and I lived under the Taliban in northern Afghanistan in the late 1990s. The Taliban are thugs and murderers. It would be very offensive to wild animals if I describe the Taliban as wild. They are not fighting for Afghanistan. They are not saving Afghanistan from anyone. They literally destroy Afghanistan and kill innocent Afghans every day. For some reason, they are certain circles within the UK who have been trying to humanize the Taliban. To them, I would say that the humanization of the Taliban would badly harm the notion of humanity.
i don't care if they're masters of Shakespearian theater, they're TERRORISTS, why does this article exist?
Kind of wired, don't know what their object of love is? Defiantly don't sound like a love letter or a poem or at least one not in good taste but I am not a professional literature critic. Then again love and murder all in one book, sounds like one of those film noir than anything else.
the poems do not justify the acts!!
but at the same time
the so called liberal world should also accept "THE SHADES OF GREY".
Know thy enemy.
I will cut off your nose
i will cut off you ears
i will grow a long beard
and throw stones at your head.
I will shoot with my right hand
I will wipe with my left
i will do allahs will
until there is nothing left.
roses are red
daisies are yellow
this hash qwaleed sold me
is making me mellow
there once was a man from nantucket
who strapped a bomb to himself, said
jalalalalalala! and
blew up a bunch of schoolgirls.
fin
I was married to a goat
Once I was married to a goat
she had fine and supple breasts
she bahhed so gently as i took her
to my bed
once I was married to a goat
she would not face mecca as
I said my prayers so
I cut her infidel throat
I miss my goat.
Nice 1.
I-2-3-4 I declare a poet's war!
I love this thread -> Bring it on Talibs.
I lick the blood of your wounds
& feed on the flesh of your ignorance.
You whose minds were shaped & narrowed
in 9th century Bagdad.
We expend our youth on you.
Our money rains to solids in your sky.
Because you pack television cameras
with s3mtex & blow to chunks
anyone whose nose crinkles
at the smell of your hookah.
twitter at oinkaz
Poetry is fabulous information warfare tool & to be honest the Talib poetry is not bad. Lets start a website for our side.
And so the true location of the "man from nantucket" finally comes out.........
There was once was a group called the Taliban
Who all were huge fans of Bob Balaban
They cut off some noses
Blew up statues of Moses
To bring back the days of old Saladin
Any one can write any kind or crap. Why does they made such publicity on this kind of books.
Especially Talibans are twisted mind person who defame entire religion due to their hideous act. They got what they deserve. US should curb this kind of fundamentalist they don't even bothered about living rather killing others.
I have a doubt. US is already in Afgan why US doesn't destroy Taliban group ? so that people can live peacefully.
These guys are really mental they wont live and wont others to live.
Sorry there wasn't much religion left to defame. Just ask Aesha or anyone of Muhammed's underage wives.
yeah right!!!!This one wanna make me throw up...people,google Bachi Bazi so that you will know how this animals prey on little kids.
Almost as good as Eddie Murphy on SNL.
"Kill my landlord,
Kill my landlord,
C-I-L-L my land lord!
There once was a towel head from Kabul
who didn't like girls, what a fool
He lusted for boys and bomb making toys
even though he knew it not cool.
With frustrated tension
he strapped on a bomb
knowing he would not live
to receive payment or pension
He strolled towards the infidel
with stark determination
and took a 7,62 round
before reaching his destination
No one mourned his passing.
very very nice hoo rah
They can recite poetry as they throw acid in the face of school children. How... human...
I guess "Cooking With the Taliban" is next.
Poetry is not feminine, it is art, whether you like it or not!
To prove that point I wrote a poem just for the Taliban, they can put it in their book.
Oh bearded terrorist who lives in a cave, how many years since a bath and a shave?
The Desert is hot, it's where you'll be shot, and we will all dance on your grave...
So let me get this correct. This is a terrorist poetry book and for the low price of 9.99 i can BUY IT FROM THEM AND SUPPORT FUNDING THEIR KILLINGS AND RELIGIOUS AFFLICTIONS???
We are seriously missing the point.
the killing of millions to create this country is the biggest act of terrorism ever. same goes for the bobo bibi nation of terror ,Israel
A person who is an adherent to the teachings of islam is a muslim. Any muslim who plays the race card is an idiot since muslim isn't a race. muslims commit mass murder. muslims kill other muslims without conscious. muslims hate anyone of any other reliigon. The so called moderate muslims don't speak out against such violence because they're afraid of said violence upon themselves. muslims aren't a race, they're a murderous horde who practice the world's most dangerous religion.
Get back to me when these enlightened 7th century people treat women and gays with respect. It is absolutely disgusting that this author would feign over the Taliban.
The girl was pretty as a rose
Til I hacked off her ears and nose.
I did it in the name of Allah,
But I'm just a nasty godless fella,
Staying on top through terror and fear.
If the people ever gain freedom, oh dear!
dont ask dont tell . Nation protected by abunch of faaaaags
once u stop killing hundreds of thousands of ur own unborn babies then u can talk about my Taliban. good job murderous nation under three gods
You are a rainbow
Landing in the Kashgar range
Beyond the Herat forests
More beautiful than God's sunset
I will follow you for eternity
And you will be mine
But if not I will throw acid in your face and cut off your nose
Infidel blood's red
burqas are blue
there's a bomb in my shorts
especially for you.....
funny
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