Pakistan's Taliban: Islamic Extremists Gaining Power

Could a Taliban-style society develop in nuclear-powered Pakistan? That's the concern of many observers as Islamic extremists, especially those in Northwest Pakistan, continue to grow in power and popularity. ABC News quotes Samina Ahmed as saying: "It's not just that they think the Taliban had it right, they think that it was the perfect form of government."

President Pervez Musharraf is also criticizing these extremists, arguing that a person can be a good Muslim even if they don't follow all of the strictest rules. He, however, bears a great deal of responsibility for their popularity because in order to shore up his own power, he greatly weakened the power of secular political groups in Pakistan. This, in turn, made it possible for Muslim opposition groups to form and grow.

It's very much the same story as what has happened elsewhere in Muslim lands: a dictator takes over, weakens secular opposition groups, and so the only outlet for dissent both against the local government and against Western backers are the Islamic extremist organizations. Entire generations of Muslim youths have been radicalized and even turned into supporters of violent terrorism in this manner. Now, it looks like Pakistan is next.

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• Islam
• Islamic extremists
• Religion in Pakistan