Answer:
Al-Qaeda follows Wahhabism - an extreme form of Sunni Islam that insists on a literal interpretation of the Koran.
The group was founded in 1988 in Pakistan by Osama Bin Laden and Mohammad Atif shortly before Soviet forces withdrew from neighboring Afghanistan.
Al-Qaeda means ‘foundation’ in Arabic and they believe that they must use Jihad to mobilize their variation of Islam.
They believe in the concept of ‘defensive jihad’; that is to say, it is every Muslim’s obligation to fight those who might be seen as opposing Islam.
The terrorist group was behind 9/11 attacks in 2001 in New York which killed 2,977.
The group viewed the West and its culture as a threat to Islam, and its main goal was to establish an Islamic state based on Sharia law.
ON THE OTHER HAND
The Taliban differ from AL-Qaeda as many of their principles stem from the traditional Pashtun tribal way of life in Afghanistan, although both practice branches of Sunni Islam.
The group came to prominence in Afghanistan in the autumn of 1994, and governed in the country for 5 years, from 1996-2001.
Taliban means ‘student’ in Arabic, and it is widely speculated that the group first emerged from religious seminaries which preached a strict variation of Sunni Islam.
They originally promised to restore peace and security via Sharia law in the Pashtun areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
However, the group enforces extremely strict laws by which its citizens must live.
Women over the age of 10 are prohibited from receiving an education, and televisions and social media are banned.
Contrary to popular belief, there is not one single “Taliban”, but several different groups.
Explanation:
