Lectures

University of Washington (UW) School of Law

University of Washington School of LawDr. Shamshad Pasarlay (UW LLM, PhD), Faculty of Law, Herat University, Afghanistan, presents today a lecture entitled, Talking with the Taliban: Is the 2004 Afghan Constitution Really a Barrier to Peace? He will address questions including:

  • Does the 2004 Constitution of Afghanistan contravene the basic principles of Islam?
  • Is the 2004 Constitution really an obstacle to the conclusion of a peace agreement with the Taliban?
  • Why does the Taliban claim that the 2004 Constitution is a barrier to peace in Afghanistan?

Dr. Pasarlay will look at the constitutional provisions that define the role of Islam in the 2004 Constitution of Afghanistan and in the 2005 Taliban charter (effectively the Taliban Constitution) and draw comparisons between the two documents. This comparison provides useful insights that might help us understand the Taliban’s constitutional vision, what they want to change in the 2004 Constitution, and how the Taliban’s demands might be accommodated through amendments to the 2004 Constitution.