: What Will Islam’s Role Be in the New Afghanistan?

In the aftermath of the conservative Islam of the Taliban, Hamid Karzai’s Afghanistan is mulling over the role of Islam in the country. Even symbolic decisions such as whether or not to put the name “Islam” in the new title of the country has bogged down the Loya Jirga governing council in debate. Just as Afghanistan is ethnically and linguistically diverse, it also has a wide range of Islamic beliefs, from Sufism to the Wahabbism practiced by the Taliban. Karzai expects to survive the bumpy ride by emphasizing religious diversity alongside the ethnic diversity of Afghanistan’s people. Whether the people will follow that line of thinking and respect each other’s Islamic interpretations remains to be seen.

Shahed Amanullah is editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com.