MUCH is being said these days about how the Taliban have changed over the years and what one should expect in the days ahead. The more is said in this vein, the more sceptical become those who fear the worst. The experience shared by British journalist Yvonne Ridley in her book, In the hands of the Taliban, may shed some light on the matter.

In the book, the journalist has narrated her capture in Afghanistan by the Taliban in 2001. After being released by the Taliban, she converted to Islam in 2003 and is now named Mariam Ridley. She had gone to Afghanistan on an assignment to know how things were in the landlocked country. She later told the world that during her detention, she was treated with respect.

Now when the Taliban are believed to have changed, they can only get better than the captors of Ms Ridley.

It is clear that even if the Taliban have not changed, they are trying to change. There is much on the ground to suggest that the Taliban are extending an olive branch to the world, and rejecting it outright would be a big mistake. Let us interact with an open mind.

Nazir Ahmed
Sukkur

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2021