Under both their first regime and now, the Taliban have caused nothing but disruption and regression. It appears that this group’s only goal is to torment the thirty million inhabitants of Afghanistan, both men and women, sowing the seeds of grief and despair. Having taken control through arms and military force, they do not put any effort into meeting the needs of the people, and public opinion is of no consequence to them. The Taliban implement whatever their leaders deem suitable. Consequently, we have found ourselves in a situation of oppression and fear. However, no one is courageous enough to speak out for justice, and this has brought us to a point where no hope of rescue can be seen.
Over the past two years, the Taliban’s initiatives against education and higher education have been met with criticism, yet to no avail. We are now in the early days of the second academic year under Taliban rule, and there has been no news of the reopening of schools and universities for girls. It appears that the Taliban are adhering to their previous regulations, preventing girls from receiving an education by providing spurious excuses. They continue to propagate the falsehood of temporary restrictions and impermanence. If this situation persists, it will have catastrophic results, and its deleterious effects will be felt in Afghanistan for many years to come. Have the Taliban ever taken into account the consequences of denying girls an education? Do they comprehend the fatal repercussions it will have on the development and advancement of the country?
In order to gain a better understanding of the Taliban’s ban on education for women, it is sufficient to consider the number of students who have been denied access to education. A high-ranking officer in the Taliban’s Ministry of Education has informed the media that, due to the Taliban’s decision to close schools to girls, three million girls have been denied education and three thousand schools have been closed across Afghanistan. Additionally, another ten thousand girls were either studying in public or private universities or were about to enter university. In a world where education is the foundation of development and progress, depriving three million high school students and ten thousand college students is a catastrophic event that will undoubtedly impede the country’s access to progress and civilization.
The Taliban’s antiquated attitude towards girls’ education has caused many families of greater financial means to be compelled to leave the country in order for their daughters to receive an education. Despite the difficulties they face, these families seek to migrate to a more secure and prosperous environment. As more and more educated individuals and students depart, the country is left without its most valuable human resources. The irony is that even the families of some Taliban leaders are forced to travel abroad to ensure their children (both boys and girls) receive a proper education. Despite the material and spiritual advantages, the Taliban have created a situation that is even painful for themselves. If this is the case, one can only imagine the distress that those who oppose the Taliban must be going through.
The imposition of restrictions on education rights has had a devastating effect, leading to Human capital flight (brain drain). According to Taliban officials, more than 1,200 professors have left their positions at universities in Kabul, Nangarhar, and Herat and fled the country. A source at Kabul University informed Al Jazeera News that prior to the Taliban takeover, 867 professors were teaching at the university, but since then, half of them have left the country, leaving only 407 professors, 110 of whom are female and not allowed to teach. With only 300 professors to fulfill the teaching responsibilities for a university with over 26,000 students, some departments, such as the German and French language departments, have been forced to close due to the lack of qualified professors.
Given the current state of public universities in Afghanistan, the situation for private universities is likely to be even worse. According to officials from the Ministry of Higher Education, prior to the Taliban’s arrival, there were 200,000 students enrolled in private universities across the country, 70,000 of whom were female. Additionally, there were approximately 6,000 people employed in this sector. However, the situation has drastically changed. Karim Naseri, head of communications at the Union of Afghan Universities, informed Al Jazeera that “unfortunately, the 6,000 employees have lost their jobs. Out of the 140 private universities, 40 are facing severe financial difficulties and may be forced to close if they do not receive assistance.”
For many years, universities in Afghanistan have been struggling with challenges and inadequacies due to the decades of war in the country, which has caused irreparable damage to universities and their enlightened rules and functions. However, in the 20 years since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, universities have gradually flourished, with Afghan cadres from around the world attempting to introduce students to modern ideas. Unfortunately, with the Taliban’s return, universities have once again been faced with a crisis and the risk of decline, like other institutions in the country. Generally, in other countries, the reasonable and scientific method of preparing the curriculum for universities is done by researchers who are part of the university itself, as they are closely involved with academic issues and have the necessary scientific competence to better prepare teaching materials for students than anyone else. In contrast, the Taliban do not act in this way, as it is not compatible with their policies. They do not take into account the ideologies of university professors, and instead make changes to the curriculum based solely on their own ideological tendencies. This means that people who have no academic experience whatsoever are expected to reform and rebuild the curriculum and educational system of universities.
The professors and researchers living in the country and cooperating with the Ministry of Higher Education out of necessity have expressed their dissatisfaction with the current atmosphere of the universities. They have stated that the Taliban are treating professors and students as if they are unfamiliar with Islamic culture and values, and must be guided to the correct path. Furthermore, the Taliban do not recognize different disciplines and are attempting to replace important subjects with “Islamic subjects.” As a result, medical or economics students are being forced to study topics that are not related to their chosen field.
Neda Mohammad Nadim, the minister in charge of higher education, was formerly a commander of the Taliban in the war against the previous regime. As such, he is not well-versed in academic affairs. Nevertheless, he currently holds control over higher education and has a high opinion of himself, disregarding the advice of the academic community. Nadim is a trusted minister of the Kandahar leader of the Taliban and has made statements that indicate the direction of Afghanistan’s higher education since his appointment. He has no plans to bolster Afghan public and private universities.
He is concentrating on helping “Mujahedeen“ gain access to universities regardless of the cost. The plan is to give them new educational opportunities and replace the existing staff. In his view, the status of a Mujahed is determined by the number of bombs they have planted, not their intelligence and wisdom. Furthermore, in one of his speeches, he compared civilization to religion and stated that religion is more important than national interests, progress, and civilization. The Taliban are also aiming to impose restrictions on professors who disobey Taliban law, paving the way for their dismissal and replacing them with people they trust.
The Taliban have instilled an atmosphere of fear, leading to the dissolution of political parties and civil society institutions. As a result, the Afghan people have no means of exerting pressure on the Taliban to regulate their behavior. The only option is for the international community to compel the Taliban to alter their course, utilizing the resources at their disposal. Unfortunately, the international community has been unsuccessful in this endeavor. The leader of the Taliban has declared that his group will never submit to the demands of the “infidels“, even if they use the atomic bomb. In this context, the people of Afghanistan have the right to feel disheartened and view their future with despair, prompting them to flee the country.