As 'Taliban 2.0' joins competing peace talks with various stakeholders, archival photos paint a stark image of life in Afghanistan under the radical Islamic group's 1996-2001 rule.
Afghanistan Under The Taliban
- By RFE/RL
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A veiled woman riding a donkey with a young boy. Under Taliban rule, women were required to wear such clothing outside at all times, and could only leave their houses with a male relative.
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Women in Kabul soon after the Taliban seized control of the capital. Women were also forbidden from working or getting an education -- beyond learning the Quran until the age of 8.
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Taliban gunmen watching a football match in Kabul. Football was highly popular, especially after allegedly "un-Islamic" pastimes like kite flying and buzkashi were banned, but most sports faced restrictions.
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Members of a Pakistan football team after having their heads shaved by the Taliban in punishment for competing in shorts during a match in Kabul. Footballers were required to cover their bodies while playing. Other sportsmen, like boxers, were forced to weave between the Taliban's strict rules and general sporting norms. When two Afghan boxers traveled to Pakistan for a tournament, judges demanded they shave their facial hair. Fearing the Taliban reaction, the men kept their beards and returned home without throwing a punch.
