These are the people to whom Hamid Karzai is extending a hand of reconciliation.
“Taliban unveils hardline Afghan constitution,” by Isambard Wilkinson and Ashraf Ali in the Telegraph (thanks to all who sent this in):
The Taliban has published a shadow Afghan constitution outlining an alternative hardline government to that of President Hamid Karzai.
The 23-page document envisages a country where women would remain veiled and uneducated, “un-Islamic thought” would be banned and human rights would be ignored if “contrary with the teachings of Islam”.
The Constitution of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, comes days after the Defence Secretary, Des Browne, said that the Taliban will need to take a role in the peace process in Afghanistan.
On freedom of speech the Taliban charter, which is written in Pashto and Dari, is clear: “Every Afghan has the right to express his feelings through his views, writings or through other means in accordance with the law.”
However “un-Islamic thought” is strictly forbidden and “violators will be punished according to sharia” – under the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic teachings.
In reality, of course, the Sharia is not an invention of the Taliban.