Why the Taliban do what they do

[Bigmo]

O you who believe! do not take for guardians those who take your religion for a mockery and a joke, from among those who were given the Book before you and the unbelievers; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah if you are believers.
( سورة المائدة , Al-Maeda, Chapter #5, Verse #57)

And when you call to prayer they make it a mockery and a joke; this is because they are a people who do not understand.
( سورة المائدة , Al-Maeda, Chapter #5, Verse #58)



They ask you concerning the sacred month about fighting in it. Say: fighting in it is a grave matter, and hindering (men) from Allah's way and denying Him, and (hindering men from) the Sacred Mosque and turning its people out of it, are still graver with Allah, and persecution is graver than slaughter; and they will not cease fighting with you until they turn you back from your religion, if they can; and whoever of you turns back from his religion, then he dies while an unbeliever-- these it is whose works shall go for nothing in this world and the hereafter, and they are the inmates of the fire; therein they shall abide.
( سورة البقرة , Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #217)

Have you not considered the chiefs of the children of Israel after Musa, when they said to a prophet of theirs: Raise up for us a king, (that) we may fight in the way of Allah. He said: May it not be that you would not fight if fighting is ordained for you? They said: And what reason have we that we should not fight in the way of Allah, and we have indeed been compelled to abandon our homes and our children. But when fighting was ordained for them, they turned back, except a few of them, and Allah knows the unjust.
( سورة البقرة , Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #246)


O you who believe! be not like those who disbelieve and say of their brethren when they travel in the earth or engage in fighting: Had they been with us, they would not have died and they would not have been slain; so Allah makes this to be an intense regret in their hearts; and Allah gives life and causes death and Allah sees what you do.
( سورة آل عمران , Aal-e-Imran, Chapter #3, Verse #156)


This is an example how you are Bigmo.

The verses you quoted are concerning the defensive war I was talking about. yes, when you are defending your faith God expects you to fight and defend it. Especially remember that during the time of these verses the Quran was still being revealed and the pagans wanted that to stop. They did not want the teachings of the Quran to spread especially after the prophet refused to change its teachings as they demanded of him.

You seem to mix between defensive war and pacifism. The Quran does not recognize pacifism and that you avoid fighting for any reason. This is not what the Quran is saying, but if you are being persecuted and being driven from your home and if you are being attacked for your faith, you just defend your faith and your right. The Quran is big when it comes to freedom but its also big when it comes to justice.

As far as mockery of the faith, here the Quran says we should avoid such people and only debate with those who are truly interested. It is their right to mock the faith but its our duty to avoid them and not to accept them as our allies. But to persecute them is another matter all together.

I think I also know what you are trying to get to. That those who mock and insult God and his messenger(lets face it ist about the messenger that sensitivity is) how can you let them get away with it. This is very common in eastern societies where people are raised to with restrictions about what is acceptable and what is not. Asian and Arab societies especially have this. You should not talk back to your parents or adult relatives or you will get punished. So how can a person say something insulting and mockingly about the deen and get away with it? This is true. I think in such societies there can be restriction, but there must be some element of tolerance for freedom. Its a balancing act.

You seem to think because i respect freedom then I must be against the deen or not caring about it. But the best example we should follow is the sunnah of the prophets we read in the Quran who went through so much and yet respected the freedom of others as long as that freedom did not lead to violence.