A quiet student at Kabul University, 25-year-old Abdul Rahim has a dream: to join Islamic State in Syria and fight for the establishment of a global caliphate — a new, alarming form of radicalism in war-weary Afghanistan.
"When hundreds of foreigners, both men and women, leave their comfortable lives and embrace Daish, then why not us?" he asked, using a word for Islamic State common in the region.
Although Islamic State is not believed to have operations in Afghanistan, its influence is growing in a country already mired in daily bombings and attacks by Taliban insurgents.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.