What are the differences between the Islamic State and the Taliban? The two terrorist organizations have different ideologies and goals, and they operate in different ways. Here’s a look at how IS and Taliban differ from each other.
What is IS?
IS, also known as Islamic State, is a group that has origins in the Sunni insurgency in Iraq during the 2003–11Iraq War. IS first began operating under the name “Jama’at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad” (“Organization of Monotheism and Jihad”), but later changed its name to “al-Qaeda in Iraq” (“AQI”), before rebranding itself as “Islamic State of Iraq” (“ISI”) in 2006.
- The group declared itself a caliphate—a state governed in accordance with Sharia law—in 2014, and renamed itself “Islamic State” (“IS”). IS is known for carrying out numerous terrorist attacks, including the 2015 Paris attacks, which killed 130 people, and the 2016 Nice truck attack, which killed 86 people.
- The group has been designated a terrorist organization by many governments, including the United States and the European Union. IS is based inIraqandSyria but has cells in numerous other countries.
- The group’s goals are to establish a global caliphate and to carry out attacks against non-believers (particularly Westerners). IS raises funds through taxation, extortion, and kidnapping for ransom.
It has been criticized for its human rights abuses, including mass executions and beheadings, as well as its treatment of women and minority groups. IS is believed to have between 15,000 and 30,000 members.
What is the Taliban?
IS and Taliban are two of the most prominent terrorist organizations operating in the world today. While they share many similarities, there are also some important differences between the two groups.
- IS is a relatively new organization, founded in 2013, while the Taliban has been active for over two decades.
- IS is also much more violent than the Taliban, carrying out regular mass shootings and bombings targeting civilians.
- In contrast, the Taliban largely focuses its attacks on military targets and government officials.
- IS is also much more open to using social media and other forms of technology to spread its message, whereas the Taliban shuns such methods.
As a result, IS has been able to reach a wider audience than the Taliban and gain support from people all over the world. However, the Taliban remains a powerful force in many parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and is not likely to disappear anytime soon.
Differences between IS and Taliban
The Taliban is a Sunni Islamic fundamentalist political movement in Afghanistan currently seeking to take over the Afghan government through a violent uprising.
- The Taliban follows a strict interpretation of Sharia law and views themselves as the only true Muslims.
- They are known for their rigorous enforcement of moral code, often using brutal methods such as public executions.
- The Taliban emerged in the early 1990s during the Afghan Civil War and quickly gained control over much of the country.
- However, they were driven out of power after the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan.
- Since then, they have been engaged in a bloody insurgency against Afghan and coalition forces.
The Taliban now controls more territory than at any time since 2001, and peace talks between the group and the Afghan government have so far failed to bring about an end to the conflict.
Conclusion
The Taliban and IS couldn’t be more different. While the Taliban focuses on a domestic insurgency, IS is focused on establishing a global caliphate. The Taliban has been around for over two decades and is composed of many different factions with varying ideologies; IS was only formed in 2014. Finally, while the Taliban condemns violence against civilians, IS targets innocent people as part of its campaign of terror.
