Afghanistan followed the same fate as dozens of formerly Soviet-occupied countries
             after the collapse of Moscow's Marxist government in 1991. Islamic factions, which had united to
             expel the Russian occupiers in 1992, began to fight among themselves when it became apparent
             that post-communist coalition governments could not overcome the deep-rooted ethnic and
             religious differences of the members. It was in this atmosphere of economic strife and civil war
             that a fundamentalist band of religious students emerged victorious. By 1996, this group, the
             Taliban, ruled 90% of the country with a controversial holy iron hand.
             The other 10% of the country is tenaciously held by minority opposition groups led by
             president Rabbani and military commander Ahmed Shah Massoud and aided by foreign Taliban
             adversaries. This Northern Alliance shares critics' objections to the Taliban's extreme
             fundamentalist methods and especially scorns Pashtun ethnic chauvinism.
             Today only Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia recognize the Taliban
             as Afghanistan's legitimate ruling party. The United Nations still considers Massoud head of
             State, the US advocates a broad based government and others favor Rabbani, Zahir Shah,
             Gulbuddin Hekmatyar or other opponents as rulers of Afghanistan.
             The Taliban claim to follow a pure, fundamentalist Islamic ideology, yet the oppression
             they perpetrate against women has no basis in Islam. Within Islam, women are allowed to earn
             and control their own money, and to participate in public life. The 55-member Organization of
             Islamic Conference has refused to recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan's official government.
             The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, regarded by many as an ultraconservative, fundamentalist
             organization, has denounced the Taliban's decrees.
             Female employment and education is restricted or banned. Women must stay at home.
             If necessary, women who do leave the hou...