Afghanistan: The Misery of a Nation
17 minutes, 2001
Ref: 219

Afghanistan is now in the grip of its worst drought in living memory and a war that is claiming lives every day. In this rare and brilliant report from north-eastern Afghanistan we see the suffering of people from lack of food and witness the bombardment of the rebels by the Taliban forces. Afghanistan is almost completely ruled by the Taliban – a group practicing an extreme form of Islam. Those who do not adhere to the Taliban’s laws are often killed or badly treated. But more worrying for non-fundamentalist Moslems is the Taliban’s efforts to spread its brand of Islam to other countries in the region. We see in Pakistan many madrassas – or religious schools – that have been set up to promote Islamic fundamentalism among the country’s youth.