Following 9/11, the United States responded to Afghanistan by placing troops there to restore order. After twenty years, President Joe Biden withdrew these troops, leaving the civilians of Afghanistan to fend for themselves against the murderous and radical Taliban. Almost 2,000 miles away, the media watches as the Israeli Defense Force combats the daily terror attacks by Hamas as Palestinian citizens face the harmful effects of collateral damage. With both Palestine and Afghanistan experiencing the craze effects of struggling under radical rulership we must consider the groups behind this terror.

When examining the tactics of both the Taliban and Hamas there are both many similarities and differences. Initially, we must consider both groups’ alleged motivation behind their radicalism. Hamas and the Taliban are committed to enforcing Sharia law. In fact, following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, Hamas congratulated them on enforcing their “brave leadership”.

Derived from the Arabic root “Sharia,” meaning “the way,” Sharia law is the way of living for Muslims. Those who disobey these laws can be divided into two categories, “Hadd ” and “Tazir” offenses. Hadd offenses are clearly stated in the bible and have set punishments while Tazir offenses warrant a punishment decided by the state. Although these may sound like rules from any other country, some Hadd offenses can lead to punishments like cutting off one’s hand in response to theft or lashes for drinking alcohol. With both Palestine and Afghanistan under sharia law, citizens are forced to endure intense scrutiny while their government has no problem of using violence as a means to an end.

Allegedly, contrary to the Taliban, Hamas claims to have a more noble cause behind their need for power. Many anti-zionists believe that Hamas is merely a “freedom fighting” group, redeeming Palestinians sovereignty to their ancestral homeland. However, this is the only ‘redeeming’ factor about Hamas. Contrary to the Taliban, Hamas seems to be more interested in the destruction of Israel than their own success, proving that they are more interested in the removal of the only Jewish state and democracy in the Middle East rather than themselves pursuing self-determination.

While Israel invests their money in defensive technology like the iron dome, Hamas is more interested in building rockets (rockets that are notorious for being unpredictable and often hitting their own citizens). Even though these missiles may be unintentionally self-destructive, both Hamas and the Taliban are fond of suicide missions, which are very intentionally self-destructive. From the string of 2017 suicide attacks that killed 48 and injured over 150 for a lame political agenda to the recent car bomb attack this year, the Taliban has followed in the footsteps of Hamas who have engaged in hundreds of suicide missions.

Although all citizens under radical rulership face harsh and demeaning circumstances, women suffer leaps and bounds ahead of everybody else. Both Hamas and the Taliban also share similar views on women. In 2011, Hamas banned the styling of women’s hair, and recently, in February 2021, Gaza’s supreme judicial council, which is run by Hamas, banned women from traveling without the permission of their “male guardian”. Under the Taliban, an all-male government announced that women can finally study in universities, however, these universities must be gender separated and the woman’s dress code in these universities are black head-to-toe robes and black head scarfs.

While the news has no trouble condemning the Taliban, journalists and news reporters seem to be reluctant about showing their discontent with Hamas. Whether they claim to have a reason or not, there is a clear double standard at play that we must talk about.