Afghanistan: A Library Guide

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the constant flow of news taking over our screens minute by minute. Afghanistan is back under Taliban control as the United States withdraws after 20 years in the region. Refugees have been flooding local airports as the US tries to evacuate countless Americans and locals who helped the government. Yesterday, a series of attacks at the Kabul airport by Islamic State’s regional affiliate killed 13 US service members plus countless Afghans. We’ve gathered some resources to help you navigate current events.

Facts

Located in South Asia and bordered by six countries, Afghanistan lies at the crossroads of major north-south and east-west trading routes. Because of its importance for trade, Afghanistan has attracted invaders throughout its long history and has been ruled by many foreign powers, including the Achaemenid, Mongol, and British empires. Since the late twentieth century, the country has been besieged by a series of wars and invasions. Additionally, the country faces extreme poverty and corruption while experiencing only limited access to social services, natural resources, and foreign investment.
“Afghanistan.” Gale Global Issues Online Collection, Gale, 2020. Gale In Context: Global Issues, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CP3208530001/GIC?u=arl&sid=bookmark-GIC&xid=7be5667d. Accessed 19 Aug. 2021.

[Gale Global Issues Online Collection] Afghanistan
[BBC] Afghanistan Country Profile
[WHO] Afghanistan

Brief History

[PBS] A Historical Timeline o f Afghanistan
[WBUR] A Modern History Of Afghanistan And The Taliban
[Gale World History Online Collection] Afghanistan

Taliban

[Newsweek] Who Are the Taliban and What Is Their Goal?
[NYT] In Photos: Afghanistan Under the Taliban
[NPR] Here’s What The Taliban’s Leadership Looks Like In 2021
[BBC] Who are the Taliban?
[CFR] The Taliban in Afghanistan

The Taliban are a group largely consisting of Islamist students and soldiers. They gained influence in, and later control of, Afghanistan in the 1990s.
Support for the Taliban surged among members of the conservative Islamic community as, once in power, the group established its interpretation of Sharia as law in Afghanistan.
The Taliban attracted global attention once intelligence reports revealed they were granting shelter to Osama bin Laden and members of the terrorist group al-Qaeda.
Attacks mounted by the United States and other forces drove the Taliban out of Afghanistan in late 2001. The group maintains a presence in other areas, primarily Pakistan.
Since their removal from power, the Taliban have worked from exile to destabilize the existing government of Afghanistan and maintain a presence in the Middle East.

From Gale Global Issues Online Collection

Gender

[NPR] The Taliban Seize Her City. America’s Red Tape Stops Her From Fleeing.
[NPR] Afghan Women On What’s At Stake For Women In Afghanistan
[Insider] Video shows a group of Afghan women protesting for their rights in Kabul as armed men stand nearby
[The Atlantic] The Taliban’s return is catastrophic for women
[Philadelphia Enquirer] The U.S. never prioritized Afghan women and girls | Opinion
[Columbia Journal of International Affairs] Feminism, Peace, and Afghanistan by Sima Samar
[NYTimes] A Taliban spokesman urges women to stay home because fighters haven’t been trained to respect them.
[UNICEF] Afghanistan – Education Equity Profile for Adolescent Girls
[Human Rights Watch] “I Thought Our Life Might Get Better”
[WSJ] Shariah Law, Women’s Rights in Afghanistan and the Taliban: What to Know

Understanding the U.S. War in Afghanistan

[The Nib] Afghans In Their Own Words by Matt Boers
[Council on Foreign Relations] The U.S. War in Afghanistan 1999-2021
[Reuters] America’s longest war: 20 years of missteps in Afghanistan
[CFR] The US War in Afghanistan
[Politifact] Ask PolitiFact: What are some basic facts on the U.S. war in Afghanistan?

What’s Happening in Afghanistan?

[Reuters] U.S. on alert for more attacks, death toll rises from Kabul airport carnage
[White House] Remarks by President Biden on Afghanistan
[White House] A Proclamation Honoring the Victims of the Attack in Kabul, Afghanistan (for more from the White House Briefing Room, click here)
[NYTimes] ISIS Branch Poses Biggest Immediate Terrorist Threat to Evacuation in Kabul
[NPR] What We Know About ISIS-K, The Group Behind The Kabul Attacks
[The Guardian] Timeline: the Taliban’s sweeping offensive in Afghanistan
[AP] Afghanistan Headlines
[Council of Foreign Relations] Global Conflict Tracker
[NYTimes] Afghanistan Live Updates
[BBC] Afghanistan: Where will refugees go after Taliban takeover?
[PBS] Analysis: Where do Afghanistan’s refugees go?

Additional Resources

[James Madison University] The Works of Dr. Shah Mahmoud Hanifi
[Literary Hub] Five Books About the “Real” Afghanistan
[Five Books] The Best Books on Afghanistan
[Book Riot] Nine books by women from Afghanistan to read right now
[BBC Global News Podcast]
[NYT The Daily Podcast]
[Variety] Fifteen essential documentaries about Afghanistan
[NPR] Photos: A View Of Afghanistan As The Taliban Take Over
[NYTimes] How to Help Afghan Refugees and the Relief Effort
[NPR] The Simple Steps You Can Take Right Now To Help Afghan Refugees

To search for titles, visit our catalog.
To access NYT, check out our e-sources.
BPL offers ecards to MA residents and you can access WSJ through their online sources.
NOTE: These are ongoing events and likely to change as time passes. For more information, ask a reference librarian or use our online resources.