In recent times, Radio Azadi has conducted interviews with several students in religious schools in some regions of Afghanistan, and they have spoken about their experiences of sexual harassment by both teachers and older students in these schools. According to this report, some students have left school out of fear of sexual harassment by teachers and older students. Some families mentioned in this report have stated that although they are aware of the harassment of their children in these schools, they have been unable to lodge complaints or objections because they fear the consequences and do not see protesting as beneficial.
Instances of such events have long been occurring in religious schools, and this issue has become a norm in such environments. The majority of Muslims in conservative societies hold respect for religious scholars and teachers, thus entrusting their children to them with ease, placing their trust in the teachers and administrators of religious schools. This childlike trust, coupled with excessive faith, provides fertile ground for unscrupulous religious teachers to exploit. Exploiting people’s beliefs, charlatans and manipulators indulge in lustful behavior. Due to sexual deprivation and the power they wield, teachers in religious schools have turned the harassment of students into a routine, and even if people become aware, they do not object for fear of losing their honor.
There is no doubt that alarming events are currently taking place under the roofs of religious schools in Afghanistan, but the suffocating and censorious atmosphere imposed by the Taliban on the media prevents these incidents from leaking out. What Radio Azadi reflects is only a glimpse of the truth. The absence of freedom of speech and media allows criminals to repeat their crimes with impunity and without fear. In a place where there is no freedom and media oversight, injustice, tyranny, and corruption reach their peak. The Taliban, themselves are products of such schools, in a way, support these institutions and do not allow the immoral affairs within them to become public knowledge.
With the resurgence of the Taliban, religious schools have gained more momentum, and currently, thousands of religious schools are active throughout the country, with about a million students studying in these schools. A significant portion of these schools provide round-the-clock accommodation and provide food and clothing for the students. Impoverished families prefer to send their young children to these types of religious schools so that alongside learning religious sciences, a portion of their expenses is covered. They are unaware that in these places, greedy wolves lie in wait, exploiting the necessity of families to satisfy their carnal desires and victimizing children and adolescents.
The Taliban are striving to encourage students to attend religious schools instead of modern schools, effectively undermining secular education. With the return of the Taliban to power, religious schools have gained special significance, and more job opportunities have been created for graduates of these schools. Therefore, many families believe that sending their children to religious schools will provide a better future for them. Some families even withhold their children from attending regular schools and send them to religious schools instead. Another factor contributing to the proliferation of religious schools is that the Taliban does not allow girls above the sixth grade to attend regular schools but permits them to go to religious schools. In the past two years, tens of thousands of female students have been enrolled in religious schools, where they engage in the study of religious sciences infused with Taliban ideology. It is quite possible that in the future, the Taliban will be able to recruit a large army of women to serve their destructive ideology and impose upon women the role of being “anti-feminist”.
Although Radio Azadi has interviewed male students, female students are also exposed to sexual exploitation in religious schools, and in fact, women may easily become victims of the demonic desires prevailing in male-dominated environments. With their narrow-mindedness and extreme misogyny, the Taliban have created an environment where women feel like second-class citizens, lacking dignity and credibility, and thus do not allow themselves to refuse men’s demands. There are credible reports that female students and female teachers in religious schools are repeatedly insulted and humiliated by Taliban education officials and are subjected to verbal or sexual harassment on flimsy pretexts. Additionally, there are numerous reports that the Taliban select first, second, third, and fourth wives from among female students in religious schools. In the unfair circumstances created by the Taliban, it is highly unlikely that a female student would refuse a Taliban official’s request and not worry about the consequences of her behavior. Many of these marriages likely take place in an atmosphere of fear and anxiety, with concerns about disgrace looming large.
As I mentioned earlier, the issue of illicit relationships between males has long been prevalent in religious schools. Sexual deprivation and the absence of women from the societal scene have led to the prevalence of such relationships. For example, historical reports mention that during the caliphate of Naser al-Din Allah, some speakers informed the caliph that students at the military school in Baghdad were engaging in illicit relationships and often spent their time socializing with young boys. The caliph decided to verify the truth of this claim himself. Disguised in different attire, he entered the military school and mingled with the students. One of the students took notice of him, developed an interest in him, and followed him out of the school, expressing his admiration for the caliph. Seeing this event with his own eyes, the caliph realized that what he had been told was true. He returned and ordered the expulsion of the students from the school, converting it into a base for eunuchs. (Saeed Nafisi, Military School of Baghdad)
At that time, there existed individuals like Naser al-Din Allah to prevent sexual harassment of students and ensure that children, adolescents, and youth were not harmed. However, inappropriate incidents may occur in religious schools today, yet the proliferation of these schools persists and may even increase. The Taliban are unwilling to abandon the creation of more religious schools at any cost. Recently, Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, the Taliban’s Minister of Migrants and one of the key leaders of the Haqqani network admitted that in Taliban-run religious schools, alongside religious beliefs and teachings, Taliban ideology and military skills are also taught. Therefore, it can be said that religious schools are of special importance in fulfilling the strategic goals of this group. Some of the students of religious sciences who are subjected to sexual exploitation or violence may become the best means in the future to launch military operations against enemy targets. One analysis suggests that a significant number of Taliban suicide bombers are individuals who have experienced bad experiences during childhood and adolescence, feeling guilty as a result and feeling compelled to “martyrdom operations” to cleanse themselves of the major sins they have incurred. To prepare suicide bombers, which Taliban officials claim to have tens of thousands of, a complex process must be followed.
