Whether or not the Taliban have truly changed, the country they now rule is light years ahead of the one they captured in 1996 after four years of civil war following the Soviet withdrawal and the 1992 collapse of a pro-communist government.
Ezanullah was surprised when two women said hello to him on the street.
“Just look after your hijab,” he added, referring to the Islamic headscarf that covers the hair but not the face. Under Taliban rule, television and music were forbidden. Women were barred from attending school or working outside the home, and had to wear the all-encompassing burqa whenever they appeared in public.
Videos circulating online appear to show bearded Taliban fighters laughing and horsing around on amusement park rides and in an indoor gym.The city has been in the grip of a crime wave for years, one many fear will get even worse after prisons and government armories were emptied during the Taliban's advance. One of the few benefits of their harsh Islamic rule was the virtual elimination of crime — suspected thieves had their hands chopped off; other criminals were executed in public.
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