The Taliban aren't taking Afghanistan back to the middle ages – they're subverting Islam's sound medieval legal principles

By Christian Lange, Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Utrecht University

The Taliban are back in the saddle and, with them, the dreadful spectre of the harsh punishments meted out in their previous time in power: public hangings and stonings, amputation of hands and public floggings. Veteran Taliban fighter and senior official Mullah Nooruddin Turabi explained in a recent interview that these penalties – including hangings and amputations – are “very necessary” in order to achieve “deterrence”.

When the Taliban first came to power…

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