Page 214 - The Winter of Islam and the Spring to Come

THE WINTER OF ISLAM AND THE SPRING TO COME
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After the Soviets finally withdrew, Afghanistan collapsed into dis-
order and a bloody civil war began.
The Taliban administration which seized power in 1998 actually
increased the social tension and poverty in the country by implement-
ing a very strict regime. We hope that the new regime established after
the collapse of the Taliban can put an end to the violence and poverty
that rose to terrible heights with Moscow's provocations in the 1970s
followed by the Soviet occupation.

AFGHAN REFUGEES
1979: A total of 600,000: 400,000 fled to Pakistan and 200,000 to Iran.
1980: 1.9 million to various countries
1983: 9 million: 5.6 million to Pakistan, 3.4 million to Iran
1990: 6.2 million: 3.3 million to Pakistan, 2.9 to Iran