Justice & Violence Studies Research Network Seminar: Dr Jan-Peter Hartung- Discipline and Punish: The Practice of Controlling Morality in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

A recording of this seminar is available here.

Title Discipline and Punish: The Practice of Controlling Morality in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Abstract: Dr. Hartung will analyse the Taliban’s two legislations (1994 and 2024), highlighting their distinctive interpretation of key Islamic legal principles. He will explore the practical implications of these laws, shedding light on the continuity and changes in Taliban governance. The seminar will take the format of a 30-minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute Q&A session. 

Much of the unease of observers from the Global North with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), colloquially called “The Taliban”, results from their excessive public application of oftentimes rather drastic punitive measures and the severe curtailment of the scope of activity for females. These activities are justified with reference to the Qur’anic precept to command the right and forbid the wrong (al amr bi’l maÊ¿rÅ«f wa nahy Ê¿an al munkar), or the establishment of sound public morality, which has found its way into actual legislation. The respective, yet quite distinct, acts of 1994 and 2024 will consequently form the backdrop for discussing the IEA’s endeavours to realize the Qur’anic imperative within its realm. For the wider context, brief forays into the IEA political theory will be undertaken. The talk will be addressing an audience not deeply familiar with Islamic concepts and the intricacies of Islamic law but will discuss the issue of justice and state sponsored violence in the IEA in a more general way that allows participants without prior knowledge to follow easily.