Taliban Enforce Rigid Islamic Law In Pakistan's Swat Valley

A column in yesterday's Middle East Times criticizes recent moves by Taliban to enforce rigid Wahhabi Islamic rule in Pakistan's Swat Valley. Apparently the power of the Pakistani government now extends only to a small area of Swat, while the Taliban has created its own administration, judicial system and charitable fund in most of the area. The Taliban prevent girls from attending school, warn barbers against shaving beards and burn schools and video shops. The Swat Valley's once vital tourist industry is declining, with many hotels and restaurants now closed. Over 200 people have been killed by the Taliban, and some two-thirds of Swat's population has migrated to other areas of the country. Sunday's New York Times also carried a long article exploring the Taliban's control of Swat, maintained in large part through use of radio to intimidate the populace.