From 1996 to the end of 2001, the country of Afghanistan was under the control of a regime called the Taliban—a word derived from Talib, or religious students. The Taliban leaders were mostly young Islamic scholars trained in madrassas (religious schools) located in Pakistan and funded in part by Saudi Arabia. They said they wanted to install a pure form of Islamic government in Afghanistan. To this end they enforced numerous rules that they said were based on classic Islamic teachings, banning, among other things, music, movies, picnics, wedding parties, mixed-sex gatherings, toys, cameras, cigarettes, alcohol, and most books.

The Taliban regime, citing Islamic law, also greatly restricted the rights and public roles of women. Female education, from kindergarten through graduate school, was abolished. Women were banned from seeking jobs or wearing makeup, and for the most part were...