News at Eleven: Yes, there are paeans to the glory

of the battlefield and vicious parodies of enemy leaders, but also a surprising emphasis on comradeship and some chaste and ambiguous references to romantic love. In its ideology, the poetry tends more toward Afghan nationalism than global jihad, with frequent reference to past invaders, from the British in the 19th century to the Soviets in the 20th.

Poetry of the Taliban is currently on sale in Britain and will be published in the United States on July 17. Here are six examples from the collection:

May I be sacrificed for you, my homeland

from Foreign Policy: Sonnets for the Mujahideen
then Macleans.ca: 'The Poetry of the Taliban' stirs controversy in Britain and beyond
then CNN World: A book of poetry--by the Taliban?

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