UNESCO has designated April 23 as World Book and Copyright Day. This annual occasion provides an opportunity to discuss the role of books as one of the effective and indispensable tools for acquiring knowledge in the modern world. When considering the position of books in Afghanistan, it is inevitable to acknowledge that books, especially those that expand our understanding of the contemporary world and transform our perception of existence, have never truly held their deserved place in this society. Undoubtedly, several factors and reasons have contributed to the emergence of this situation, and until the roots of these factors are addressed, it is challenging for society to reconcile with books. Describing how books have long been neglected in our society, the advent of the Taliban has intensified the plight of books and pushed them further into isolation.
The Taliban are enemies of the free dissemination of books and only endorse those that align with their ideological beliefs. The Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture imposes severe censorship on book publication and intervenes to prevent the printing and distribution of books on the slightest pretext. A few months ago, officials from the Taliban’s Intelligence and Information and Culture ministries seized thousands of volumes of books from bookstores and publishers in Kabul and other provinces. Even the presence of a single sentence incompatible with Taliban beliefs in a book is sufficient to have it listed as a banned book. The Taliban are ruthless censors and do not tolerate freedom of expression and opinion. They deal with members of the publishing industry and booksellers with ugliness, pessimism, and prejudice. In their view, writers and publishers are guilty unless proven otherwise.
Taliban members consist of two major segments: the majority of Taliban are illiterate and have recently descended from the mountains and villages to the cities. The fate of this segment of Taliban individuals regarding books and writing is clear. They are entirely unfamiliar with these concepts and consider them worthless. The other segment of the Taliban comprises those who have studied in religious schools in remote and backward villages of Pakistan or Afghanistan. They have had access to specific books throughout their lives and have always been indoctrinated to beware of innovation, deviation, and intellectual deviation. Teachers of this segment of Taliban members have constantly warned them against the ugliness and deviation of infidels and other Islamic sects. It is evident that individuals with this type of education and upbringing when placed in positions of decision-making authority, ensure that their rigid beliefs and ideologies remain unquestioned, and they prevent any action that deviates from their narrow worldview. These individuals approach books with pessimism and only endorse those that bear the stamp of the Qissa Khwani Bazaar in Peshawar.
Unprecedented economic destitution in Afghanistan is also among the factors that have exacerbated the plight of books. It has been quoted from a thinker, and rightly so, that the most significant consequence of hunger and poverty is that it stifles thinking. When you are forced to sweat from morning till night in search of sustenance, the last thing on your mind will be books, contemplation, and knowledge. Furthermore, humans possess calculative minds, and when they observe that people involved with books, pens, and writing do not enjoy good social standing and struggle financially despite years of education failing to liberate them from poverty and hardship, it is improbable that they will emulate them and dedicate their time to reading books.
Mind to examine the situation of writers, without whom the creation of books is impossible. The bitter truth is that writers in Afghanistan have never enjoyed a favorable position. With the return of the Taliban, they have become even more isolated, with each person lurking in a corner. The most crucial point in this regard is that when a writer cannot use their pen to make a living, their work becomes valueless. As a result, they are compelled to engage in other activities to make ends meet, either Discussing the state of books in Afghanistan under Taliban rule inherently leads the ignoring their love for writing altogether or allocating limited time of their lives to it. Another point is that when a writer cannot conduct research and produce without fear of the consequences of writing, their motivation for writing diminishes or declines. Considering these and numerous other factors, it is evident that writers emerging in this environment find it challenging to compete with writers from other countries in producing noteworthy texts.
Totalitarian regimes are hostile to free thought and suppress dissenting voices. Currently, the Taliban are vigorously engaged in this endeavor. They ruthlessly deal with their opposing writers and closely monitor any form of their activity. Although many researchers and writers have fled the country, those who haven’t had the chance to leave are forced to live in anxiety and distress. In a society where freedom of thought does not exist, only writers who cater to the taste of the ruling regime and reinforce the foundations of authoritarian rule find a space to express themselves. It is astonishing that Taliban authorities openly speak of suppressing dissenting views and consider censorship an acceptable practice without compromise or disguise, showing no hesitation in pursuing any criticism.
If we don’t address another point here, we haven’t presented the whole picture. As the name suggests, the Taliban’s core emerges from religious schools. If this is the case, then they are not foreign to books, study, and learning. The truth of the matter is that they oppose liberating books; books that challenge dogmas and shake old beliefs. This group never objects to reading books published in Peshawar’s storyteller tradition; in fact, they even encourage such reading. The Taliban’s main focus is on books of modern humanities that bring fresh ideas to mind and may undermine previous certainties. They have issues with books that present tribal and rural narratives of religion and life that are incompatible with their worldview.
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