Have You Seen the ‘Poetry of the Taliban?’ Book (Yes, This Exists)
- Posted on July 10, 2012 at 12:45pm by
Billy Hallowell
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Did you know that there’s a new book that intends to show the “softer side of the Taliban?” The literary work, entitled, “Poetry of the Taliban,” is apparently an anthology that includes selections from radical Islamist fighters in Afghanistan.
The extremely controversial book was assembled by European researchers Felix Kuehn and Alex Strick van Linschoten. While critics are dismissing these men and claiming that they have put together a work composed primarily of propaganda, the two, based in Kandahar, Afghanistan, are defending their work. Here’s more, based on an account from the Los Angeles Times (via Stars and Stripes):
But they say the poems help illuminate a much-documented yet little-understood insurgency.
“For some people, it’s going to be offensive, yes – maybe very offensive,” said co-editor Felix Kuehn, who with his collaborator, Alex Strick van Linschoten, has published a number of academic works on the Taliban. “But we think it’s a way to see how they see the world.”
The book, which was published in Britain this year and will be released in the United States this month by Columbia University Press, came about almost by accident.
For years, as the two researchers scoured Pashto-language websites, gathered oral histories and painstakingly cultivated intermediaries with ties to the Taliban, they began running across scraps of poetry, scattered haphazardly among the group’s strident communiques and lengthy policy statements.
The authors have extensive experience writing and researching about terror in the region. As they encountered the poems and began collecting them, they realized that a pattern was appearing. The works were very personal and provide what they believe to be a lens into the complicated worldview of terrorists. Thus, they decided to put them together into the book that is now raising eyebrows.
“The contrast between the severity of their professed ideology and the license of the Taliban’s aesthetic sensibilities – in which unrequited love, bloody vengeance and the thrill of battle, religion and nationalism, even a desire for non-violence, are expressed through images of wine, powerful women, song, legend and pastoral beauty – provide a fascinating insight into the minds and hearts of these deeply emotional people,” the authors explain on a web site setup to promote the book.
So, what do these poems say, you ask? Here’s one of the selections:
“I stoned him with the stones of light tears / then I hung my sorrow on the gallows. … / It might have been the wine of your memory / that made my heart drunk five times.”
And here’s another:
“I know the black, black mountains / My home is the mountain; my village is the mountain … / I know the black ditches … / I know the hot trenches.”
Despite the so-called beauty — or clarity — that some may see in this poetry, critics remind those supporting the book that the individuals behind the poems are radical theocrats who are considered dangerous — even murderous.
“What we need to remember is that these are fascist, murdering thugs,” said Richard Kemp, a retired colonel who commanded military forces for the British in Afghanistan.
Kemp continued, telling the Guardian newspaper that the book gives “the oxygen of publicity to an extremist group which is the enemy of this country.”
Read more about the controversial book here.
(H/T: Business Insider)
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Comments (51)
Dano.50
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 8:15pmHere’s few pollitically incorrect limericks.
If Islam were really of peace,
Then violence on Israel would cease.
They would not condone,
They’d round up their own,
Jihadists, they’ld never release.
Achmood ran a scam from Iran,
With help from his own taliban,
A nuke he did build,
That Jews could be killed,
While the media this story did pan.
There once was a smooth hypocrite,
Report Post »To whom many did vote their commit,
This jive talking fellow,
Turned out to be yellow,
And now, we’re all in deep ***t.
JACKTHETOAD
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 7:54pmI think that I shall never see
Report Post »a dead terrorist that I didn’t like.
Jason-in-TX
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 7:29pmThe Nazi’s made beautiful films. The problem is these beautiful films WERE MADE BY FREAKING NAZIS!!!!!!! Who cares if the film, or in this case poetry, is beautiful. It’s made by murderous, fascist, disgusting thugs!
Report Post »castuslonginus
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 9:54pmI need to get a copy of this to read while I look at my gacy paintings.
Report Post »Bookworm
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 6:40pmHeres a bit of poetry for ya
Mohammed’s War
Born, the spawn of Satan, pledged to the service of his sire,
His duty is to bring souls into the eternal fire.
Leader of a false religion based on servitude and death,
Hate spewed from his mouth with his every breath.
Raper of little children, a killer and a thief,
Somehow he coerced millions into this false belief.
This world must convert or die, these words are in his book,
Islam has declared war, you just need to stop and look.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 8:20pmNice, Bookworm, very nice.
Report Post »Couyon64
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 5:01pmThere was a terrorist from kabul
Report Post »For when camels walked by would drool
He wished to hump them
In a burka would be somethin’
But the Predator Drone did rule.
Conservative-Atheist
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 5:26pmTwas the night before jihad
and all through the cave
not a brain cell was working
and the woman a slave
the ragheads were nesled
all snug in their hay
and visions of beheadings
to happen the next day
and osama in his porn room
in the country next door
watching videos of camels
kleenex clumps on the floor
to be continued…
Report Post »Patriot Z
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 8:02pmheres another good one…
roses are red
violets are blue
your prophet mohammad raped goats
and so do you.
but your poem was much better
Report Post »run42k
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 4:17pmBurka Haiku
Hate the infidels,
They got Team America,
Derka, derka, derk.
Taken from the newly, edited Poetry of the Taliban (now in 2-ply)
Report Post »shakedowncrews
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 5:18pmNow that’s funny right there!
Report Post »shakedowncrews
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 3:41pmHere’s some poetry for you:
http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=11557935&q=hi&newref=1
Tolerance let the Intolerant enter through the back door
T’was too late, too late, to reverse her mistake
And they raped her there on the floor
And Death was slow when it came
But worse was the sting of the Shame
Chorus 1
For she had been good, and she had been kind
But foolishly she’d been willfully blind
For she had been good, and she had been kind
But she must have been out of her mind
Virtue stood there paralyzed focused on her own Being
Since haste doth make waste, she chose just to wait
And marveled to see her Chance fleeing
And her Death was slow when it came
But worse was the sting of the Shame
Chorus 2
For she had been good, and she had been kind
But foolishly she’d been willfully blind
For she had been good, and she had been kind
But she was too slow to make up her mind
When Resolve arrived on the scene she knew what had to be done
Report Post »T’was too late for debate, the need then was great
She fought tooth and nail till she’d won
And Death was Just when it came
Her Glory burned like a flame
Chorus 3
For she had been good, and she had been kind
But she was decisive when it came time
For she had been good, and she had been kind
And she had no Fear to punish the Crime
scootervanneuter
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 3:04pmJust looking at the cover lowered my IQ by 20 points.
Report Post »antitheist
Posted on July 11, 2012 at 1:31amI don’t think there is such a thing as negative IQ.
Report Post »Baikonur
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 2:47pmOne of my favorite poems by one of my favorite poets in English, Gerard Manely Hopkins. He was a Jesuit priest.
As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies dráw fláme;
Report Post »As tumbled over rim in roundy wells
Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell’s
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;
Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:
Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;
Selves—goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,
Crying Whát I do is me: for that I came.
Í say móre: the just man justices;
Kéeps gráce: thát keeps all his goings graces;
Acts in God’s eye what in God’s eye he is—
Chríst—for Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men’s faces.
blazingaway
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:56pmSome dumb ass american liberal wrote the book, like bill aires writing BOs book.
Report Post »It is all part of their disinformation plan to confuse
zoro51
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:50pmwhy even allow this crap to be published n advertisesd MURDERING MUSLUMS care NOT they will KILL you for NO reason .. poetry what POETRY>???? muslums only KILL
Report Post »THX-1138
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:53pmFreedom of Speech. End of Discussion (in a free society, anyway).
If you shut them up they go underground. I like ‘em up here in the sunlight (makes for an easier shot).
Report Post »THX-1138
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:50pmAh yes, Manson writes poetry too:
http://www.charliemanson.com/art-manson-2.htm
Almost as crazy…
Report Post »AIDANMAN
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:48pmdid they read those women they executed a poem before shooting them? how about before hacking a head off?
really,, i just had to scroll down to see the poems that the comments were going to write… they would be better than the story
Report Post »jackact
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:38pm“Caliphate, caliphate that name has a ring.
Thank God Obama was wrong about Arab Spring”.
**** taken from ‘Deep thoughts from the Taliban’
Report Post »Baikonur
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:34pmPoetry is saying the most with the least number of words.
It is odd that you guys discount poetry. The King James Bible is an exercise in Shakespearean age poetry. That is actually its main claim to fame.
The fact that the Taliban read poetry is not a weakness point–it is a connection point between our cultures. It means they are idealistic and believe in a world view that is beautiful and complete and meaningful.
Their weirdo worldview is not so far from your Christiasn fundamentalist one. It is naive and primitive and violent, like yours, but not very different.
Report Post »THX-1138
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 2:03pmThe body counts are different (but that seems to be a minor detail for some).
Report Post »Baikonur
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 2:32pm@THX-1138
Report Post »Posted on July 10, 2012 at 2:03pm
‘The body counts are different’
***********
No, they aren’t. We routinely accidentally/carelessly murder civilians in Afghanistan. The body counts aren’t different.
THX-1138
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 3:03pmNo debate with liars. (At least use numbers that can’t be checked. Propaganda only works when the lies are unverifiable.)
Report Post »shakedowncrews
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 3:39pmHere’s some poetry for you:
Tolerance
By Curtis (Q-Man) Reed © 2009
Tolerance let the Intolerant enter through the back door
T’was too late, too late, to reverse her mistake
And they raped her there on the floor
And Death was slow when it came
But worse was the sting of the Shame
Chorus 1
For she had been good, and she had been kind
But foolishly she’d been willfully blind
For she had been good, and she had been kind
But she must have been out of her mind
Virtue stood there paralyzed focused on her own Being
Since haste doth make waste, she chose just to wait
And marveled to see her Chance fleeing
And her Death was slow when it came
But worse was the sting of the Shame
Chorus 2
For she had been good, and she had been kind
But foolishly she’d been willfully blind
For she had been good, and she had been kind
But she was too slow to make up her mind
When Resolve arrived on the scene she knew what had to be done
Report Post »T’was too late for debate, the need then was great
She fought tooth and nail till she’d won
And Death was Just when it came
Her Glory burned like a flame
Chorus 3
For she had been good, and she had been kind
But she was decisive when it came time
For she had been good, and she had been kind
And she had no Fear to punish the Crime
http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=11557935&q=hi&newref=1
shakedowncrews
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 3:41pmHere’s some poetry for you:
http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=11557935&q=hi&newref=1
Tolerance let the Intolerant enter through the back door
T’was too late, too late, to reverse her mistake
And they raped her there on the floor
And Death was slow when it came
But worse was the sting of the Shame
Chorus 1
For she had been good, and she had been kind
But foolishly she’d been willfully blind
For she had been good, and she had been kind
But she must have been out of her mind
Virtue stood there paralyzed focused on her own Being
Since haste doth make waste, she chose just to wait
And marveled to see her Chance fleeing
And her Death was slow when it came
But worse was the sting of the Shame
Chorus 2
For she had been good, and she had been kind
But foolishly she’d been willfully blind
For she had been good, and she had been kind
But she was too slow to make up her mind
When Resolve arrived on the scene she knew what had to be done
Report Post »T’was too late for debate, the need then was great
She fought tooth and nail till she’d won
And Death was Just when it came
Her Glory burned like a flame
Chorus 3
For she had been good, and she had been kind
But she was decisive when it came time
For she had been good, and she had been kind
And she had no Fear to punish the Crime
jman-6
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 6:32pmYour willfull ignorance is on display here for all to see. The mere fact that you refer to us as fundamentalist because we take the HOLY BOOK literally is great as it re-enforces GODs TRUTH as he said “there itching ears will not accept or tolerate sound doctrine”! My friend I can only pray that you wake up and realize your need for a SAVIOR before its to late!
Report Post »Baikonur
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:26pmAs far as beliefs and proposed courses of action go, I see no diference between the Blazers and the Taliban. What’s the problem?
Report Post »THX-1138
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:51pmUm, that.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 3:19pmYes nut job, we all got together last night and stoned some liberals. Hey! What are you doing tonight?
Report Post »shakedowncrews
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 5:20pmRiiiight, ignoramus. Because blazers stone women to death, behead homosexuals, blow up schools and destroy ancient Buddist temples every day of the week.
How do ******** allow such words to be uttered without any sense of shame for their complete lack of intelligence?
Oh, that’s right…because ******** lack intelligence and don’t realize what idiocy they have uttered.
Truly, your comments are beyond stupid
Report Post »Conservative-Atheist
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 5:40pmYour use of a Kardasian picture is offensive. Not even the Kardasians are that stupid!
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:12pmPoppies are red
Violets are blue
I hate Americans
How about you….
Very good obama.
Report Post »762x51
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:11pmWho cares how these barbarians see the world?
If we just annihilate them they will be forgotten.
Report Post »TheEDGE
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:10pmA lot of today’s “hip hop” garbage could be called the poetry of the Taliban.
Report Post »Conservative-Atheist
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 5:51pmHear that!
Report Post »gbfreak
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:09pmWrap it in bacon and burn it!
Report Post »momrules
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:04pmI wonder if the sensitive men who murdered the woman for adultery last week had a poetry reading before the shots were fired.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:12pmI would like to know what she actually did, I bet it was nothing. If you ever get a chance, watch ‘The Stoning of Soraya M.’. It’s on Netflix instant online content. It has Jim Caviezel in it and it’s a true story.
Report Post »momrules
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:28pmWhy should anyone believe she was guilty Gonzo? The men there consider women less than livestock. One lie from any man is enough to justify the murder of any woman.
I‘ve read about that movie and I’ve seen the stoning scene. When she starts to cry, the look on her face has never left me.
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:03pm“Just don’t let us catch you setting any of it to music and putting it on your iPod–or we’ll cut off your ears.”
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 12:59pmI’ll be surprised if some wonk in the U.S. Department of Education doesn’t mandate Taliban poetry classes for 4th graders. Diversity training, you know.
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:33pmAh, how I love censorship. My post was pulled, despite saying nothing bad or wrong or against the TOS. Thanks censors, I know nobody can handle the fact that the Taliban beheads innocent women and need your gentle guidance to steer them away from the ugly truth.
Report Post »tzion
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 12:56pmI think this book has potential to be quite educational.
Report Post »RightUnite
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 12:56pmNice… We have more toilet paper now….
Report Post »762x51
Posted on July 10, 2012 at 1:12pmTrue, wiping or house breaking a dog would both be legitimate uses of this filth.
Report Post »