TALIBAN AND ISIS: AN ANALYTICAL COMPARISON

A complex relationship between Taliban and ISIS is often assumed, but it has not been yet systematically investigated. In this paper we will attempt to compare the two groups in the areas of their social origins, how each appeared in the Islamic arena, organizational characteristics, the influence of other ideological movements or tribal mechanisms on their organizational system, political agenda, faith, theology, jurisprudence, ethics, and Mysticism by exploring the commonalities and differences that exist between the two groups. This paper also contributes towards the conceptualization of the immediate and long-term political and security implications of the Taliban’s return to power. In addition to that, the paper discusses the relations of these two groups with the ethnic fabric of their societies and their relationship with the rest of the ideological movements in the Islamic world. These two groups cannot be understood without delving into the deep roots of their theological foundation.