The Storm and the Turban Author: Al-Hadi Khunashi Number of Pages: 414 Year of Publication: 2013 Afghanistan seems remote on the far edge of the major events in the Middle East following what is known as the Arab Spring, but it has always been at the heart of those events. The book is a collection of memoirs and some observations and articles written by the author during his time in Afghanistan, covering the emergence of the Taliban and also its fall. The book opens your horizons to many issues that were unknown about this movement, which is still considered one of the most obscure movements with unclear directions that can sometimes be religious and sometimes secular, and it is not clear what the essence of this movement is other than a group of religious extremists who have understood religion in a specific way and believe that everything is a conspiracy from the West to destroy this religion. The Taliban live in the poorest country in the world; however, they manage to pay the salaries of their employees through generous donations from the Gulf and through selling drugs and opium. It is known that the Taliban has denied this news, but many investigations state that the profits from drug sales during the Taliban era amount to more than 100 million. The book talks about Mullah Omar, the spiritual leader of this movement, who is still considered by many who met him to be fewer than the fingers on one hand. Who is Mullah Omar? Where did he study? His ideas and directions can all be found in this wonderful book. How did this movement begin, which at first was merely a body for enjoining good and forbidding wrong due to the increase in thefts, murders, and rapes?