The Taliban Layeha

Mullah Omar, the "highest leader of the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan," has laid down thirty rules for the Taliban. The Layeha, or "Book of Rules," was given to the thirty-three members of the Shura, the highest Taliban council, at the Taliban jamboree during Ramadan in 2006. The Taliban Layeha reveals a lot about the organization that enforces them with beatings or executions:

Layeha (book of rules) for the Mujahideen
From the highest leader of the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan.
Every Mujahid must abide by the following rules:

1) A Taliban commander is permitted to extend an invitation to all Afghans who support infidels so that they may convert to the true Islam.

The Islamic tradition of jihad requires Muslims to invite infidels to convert to Islam first, before attacking. Once the infidels reject Islam, Muslims then have the right to attack them and kill them. Those infidels who survive must submit to Muslim rule or be killed.

2) We guarantee to any man who turns his back on infidels, personal security and the security of his possessions. But if he becomes involved in a dispute, or someone accuses him of something, he must submit to our judiciary.

No non-Muslim law is valid to the Taliban, since it is man-made law rather than based on the Koran.

3) Mujahideen who protect new Taliban recruits must inform their commander.

4) A convert to the Taliban, who does not behave loyally and becomes a traitor, forfeits our protection. He will be given no second chance.

Because apostates from Islam must die.

5) A Mujahid who kills a new Taliban recruit forfeits our protection and will be punished according to Islamic law.

6) If a Taliban fighter wants to move to another district, he is permitted to do so, but he must first acquire the permission of his group leader.

7) A Mujahid who takes a foreign infidel as prisoner with the consent of a group leader may not exchange him for other prisoners or money.

Sounds like many of the mujahideen are corrupt. They'd rather cash in their prisoners than win the jihad.

8) A provincial, district or regional commander may not sign a contract to work for a non-governmental organization or accept money from an NGO. The Shura (the highest Taliban council) alone may determine all dealings with NGOs.

Another example of the Taliban commanders being eager to cash in with the infidels.

9) Taliban may not use Jihad equipment or property for personal ends.

10) Every Talib is accountable to his superiors in matters of money spending and equipment usage.

11) Mujadideen may not sell equipment, unless the provincial commander permits him to do so.

Is that jihad equipment properly labelled, I wonder? Are the Taliban PCs labelled "FOR JIHAD USE ONLY?" Are the Talib sneaking around cruising porn sites or selling bogus tufts of Osama's beard on eBay?

12) A group of Mujahideen may not take in Mujahideen from another group to increase their own power. This is only allowed when there are good reasons for it, such as a lack of fighters in one particular group. Then written permission must be given and the weapons of the new members must stay with their old group.

Maybe the mujahideen leaders are poaching each other's followers. The main weaknesses of radical groups are infighting and factionalism.

13) Weapons and equipment taken from infidels or their allies must be fairly
distributed among the Mujahideen.

An indicator that the Taliban are poorly supplied and equipped.

14) If someone who works with infidels wants to cooperate with Mujahideen, he
should not be killed. If he is killed, his murderer must stand before an Islamic
court.

Islamic courts do not count the life of an infidel or apostate equal to that of a Muslim. Killing somebody working against the jihad is at best a misdemeanor.

15) A Mujahid or leader who torments an innocent person must be warned by his
superiors. If he does not change his behaviour he must be thrown out of the
Taliban movement.

16) It is strictly forbidden to search houses or confiscate weapons without the permission of a district or provincial commander.

17) Mujahideen have no right to confiscate money or personal possessions of civilians.

In other words, the holy warriors of Islam are using the jihad as an excuse to shake down civilians and loot their homes. That violates Mao's law of guerrilla warfare, where the guerrilla is the fish who swims in a sea of civilian support. Without the civilian support, the guerrillas become vulnerable.

18) Mujahideen should refrain from smoking cigarettes.

OK, we can declare victory now. When the Taliban joins the PC smoking ban, we know they've gone power mad and started establishing a Muslim Nanny State.

19) Mujahideen are not allowed to take young boys with no facial hair onto the battlefield or into their private quarters.

The Afghans like their young boys. A lot. While sex with women is strictly forbidden, the Taliban take their pleasure with male children.

20) If members of the opposition or the civil government wish to be loyal to the Taliban, we may take their conditions into consideration. A final decision must be made by the military council.

21) Anyone with a bad reputation or who has killed civilians during the Jihad may not be accepted into the Taliban movement. If the highest leader has personally forgiven him, he will remain at home in the future.

Looks like Osama Bin Laden isn't welcome in the Taliban anymore.

22) If a Mujahid is found guilty of a crime and his commander has barred him
from the group, no other group may take him in. If he wishes to resume contact
with the Taliban, he must ask forgiveness from his former group.

23) If a Mujahid is faced with a problem that is not described in this book, his
commander must find a solution in consultation with the group.

24) It is forbidden to work as a teacher under the current puppet regime, because this strengthens the system of the infidels. True Muslims should apply to study with a religiously trained teacher and study in a Mosque or similar institution.
Textbooks must come from the period of the Jihad or from the Taliban regime.

This is a self-imposed handicap to force Taliban supporters to waste their time in madrassas memorizing the Koran in Arabic, a language they don't speak, while Taliban opponents go to real schools to learn real things that will help them get ahead. Thank goodness the Taliban prize ignorance as a virtue and seek to stamp out the spread of knowledge in their ranks.

25) Anyone who works as a teacher for the current puppet regime must recieve a
warning. If he nevertheless refuses to give up his job, he must be beaten. If
the teacher still continues to instruct contrary to the principles of Islam, the
district commander or a group leader must kill him.

Of course, the problem here is that if the Taliban kill off the teachers, how are they gonna read these thirty rules? Another Talibanic quandary.

26) Those NGOs that come to the country under the rule of the infidels must be treated as the government is treated. They have come under the guise of helping
people but in fact are part of the regime. Thus we tolerate none of their activities, whether it be building of streets, bridges, clinics, schools, madrases (schools for Koran study) or other works. If a school fails to heed a warning to close, it must be burned. But all religious books must be secured beforehand.

Damn those infidel do-gooders building us streets, bridges, clinics, and schools! Nothing illustrates the painful bigotry of the Muslims than their hatred of non-Muslims who do good works for them.

27) As long as a person has not been convicted of espionage and punished for it, no one may take up the issue on their own. Only the district commander is in charge. Witnesses who testify in a procedure must be in good psychological condition, possess an untarnished religious reputation, and not have committed any major crime. The punishment may take place only after the conclusion of the trial.

A common way for Muslim terrorists to justify their infighting is to accuse their internal enemies of being spies for the enemy.

28) No lower-level commander may interfere with contention among the populace. If an argument cannot be resolved, the district or regional commander must step
in to handle the matter. The case should be discussed by religious experts (Ulema) or a council of elders (Jirga). If they find no solution, the case must be referred to well-known religious authorities.

Yes, the local Taliban commanders like the taste of power and wield it gratuitously like they were the emirs.

29) Every Mujahid must post a watch, day and night.

They probably should post this as Rule Number One. Amateur combatants tend to always make the rookie mistake of not posting a guard while they sleep, inviting attack from, let's say, infidels watching them from unseen Predators hovering out of sight in the dark, dark night sky.

30) The above 29 rules are obligatory. Anyone who offends this code must be
judged according to the laws of the Islamic Emirates.

This Book of Rules is intended for the Mujahideen who dedicate their lives to Islam and the almighty Allah. This is a complete guidebook for the progress of Jihad, and every Mujahid must keep these rules; it is the duty of every Jihadist and true
believer.

Signed by the highest leader of the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan

The Swiss weekly, Die Weltwoche, published the Taliban rules, which were translated into English here by signandsight.com. But sheesh, the Taliban have been fighting for HOW long and they're just now getting around to formulating some policies? No wonder they're losing.