The Taliban, religious revival and innovation in Afghan nationalism

Policy analysts and academics have portrayed the Taliban as a religious revival campaign and a part of a larger Islamic counteroffensive against the West. The Taliban themselves concur, adding that they are the true guardians of Afghan national identity. If so, why did the Taliban defy long-established facets of Afghan customary law and introduce a different interpretation of Islamic law, thus countering the status quo ante? This article will examine the Taliban movement and ask how we should assess nationalist movements' claims of antiquity.