The Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education has issued a new directive instructing private universities and higher education institutions across Afghanistan to purge their libraries of books deemed “contradictory to Hanafi jurisprudence, political, and pose challenges to faith.”
The directive, obtained by KabulNow, was issued in a December 14, 2023, letter signed by Sheikh Shakirullah Wahdat, head of the ministry’s Invitation and Guidance department. It specifies the removal of books and materials deemed religiously or politically inappropriate, and their replacement with “biographical depictions of Prophet Muhammad.”
Recently, Neda Mohammad Nadim, the Taliban’s acting Minister of Higher Education at Syed Jamaluddin Afghan University in Konar Province, stated that in Afghanistan ‘there are no sects’ and that all people in this country follow the Hanafi jurisprudence.
However, alongside other sects, the Shia denomination also has many followers in Afghanistan. In the past, Ja’fari jurisprudence was recognized in the governments of the past two decades and was taught in schools where students were followers of the Shia denomination.
This latest order follows a similar directive issued on November 22, 2023, by Neda Mohammad Nadim, calling for the removal of books from the “Republican era” and their replacement with biographies of Prophet Muhammad. That directive specifically mentioned the removal of books written by Salafis, Shiites, and political opponents of the Taliban.
The Taliban’s acting Minister of Higher Education had previously announced that in each state university, an Imam and a religious preacher have been employed to instill strong beliefs and Quranic recitation in instructors. Over the past two years, the Taliban has established Sharia faculties in 17 state universities, increasing the Islamic culture subject from 8 to 24 credit units in universities.
With the Taliban’s control over Afghanistan, the group has declared the nullification of all previous government laws. Nadim, in a meeting with Eastern Zone University professors and staff, stated that the laws and regulations related to higher education of the previous regime have been abolished. He added: ‘The principles and regulations of the previous system are completely null and void, following them is not permissible, appropriate, or acceptable to us.’ However, the group itself has not established a specific law for higher education, and it is unclear which laws govern the education system.
Over the past two years, the Taliban has implemented sweeping restrictions on Afghanistan’s educational institutions. These include prohibiting girls and women from attending schools and universities, confining female professors, removing specialized subjects, increasing the focus on religious studies, creating inspection departments, and implementing regulations promoting specific moral codes. Additionally, the group has introduced revisions to 22 scientific curricula across universities. These restrictive measures have become sources of significant concern for university students and professors, leading to many resignations and even some departures from the country.
