Afghan Men Are Feeling the Effects of Taliban Rule

When the Biden administration made its disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, women and girls in the country almost immediately felt the effects of the Taliban's resurgence. Women and girls in Afghanistan experienced new and harsh restrictions on their dress, movement, schooling, careers, and other aspects of life. 

We were also treated to members of the Taliban parading around with U.S. weapons and vehicles and taking joyrides on helicopters. Men, particularly those in the urban areas of the country, were under the impression that the Taliban would leave them to go about their lives largely unhindered.

That changed in August, and many men in that country are starting to wonder if they should have raised their voices in opposition to the Taliban's laws.

According to the Washington Post, while the new restrictions are hardly comparable to those under which Afghan women must struggle, they still caught men in that country by surprise. For example, men must have fist-length beards. They cannot be un-Islamic in their appearance, which means they cannot have unapproved haircuts or wear clothes like jeans. They cannot so much as glance at a woman that is not their wife. 

There could be a knock at the door if they do not attend religious services, and cab drivers are facing violations for having unescorted women as passengers or for playing music. One man in Kabul commented, “If men had raised their voices, we might also be in a different situation now. Now, everyone is growing a beard because we don’t want to be questioned, humiliated.” A man who is a former Taliban supporter told the Post, “We all are practicing Muslims and know what is mandatory or not. But it’s unacceptable to use force on us. Even people who have supported the Taliban are now trying to leave the country.”

Given the Taliban's track record, especially concerning women, it is difficult, if not well nigh impossible, to summon even a modicum of sympathy for these men. After all, they were well aware of who the Taliban was, and it should be a given that if you put fanatical dictators in charge of your country, the inevitable results will follow. Simply because the dictators have not gotten around to you yet does not mean that they will not get around to you even if eventually. They will. 

While we may not be able to summon any tears for these men, their story serves as a cautionary tale for the United States. To doctor a term attributed to Lenin, the antisemtic "youthful idiots" on college campuses, the ersatz "journalists" who believe that the Constitution is dangerous, those who think that we enjoy too much freedom of speech, and those who champion unfettered immigration or DEI all have one thing in common. They believe they are sticking it to someone else. Usually, it's the Western patriarchy and Israel.

What these louts fail to realize is that as exciting as it may seem to stick it to the white people, the Jews, the Christians, or the conservatives, they will have to live in the dystopia they are so eager to create. The "wrong people" won't be the only ones who find themselves losing rights and freedoms. They won't be the only ones waiting for a fateful email or a knock on the door. Sooner or later, everyone bends the knee or faces the consequences.