KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A group of university professors and researchers have criticized the Taliban’s recent decision to recruit faculty for private universities via public universities, arguing that the regime seeks to replace current academic staff and turn universities into religious institutions.
The Taliban Ministry of Higher Education recently issued a directive requiring private universities to recruit lecturers through public universities. In a letter sent to these institutions, the ministry instructed them to post faculty positions and submit candidate lists to public universities for further recruitment processes. The directive also mandated that all professors pass religious exams to retain their positions.
In a protest letter to the United Nations, a copy of which was obtained by KabulNow, university professors and researchers expressed concerns that the Taliban intends to dismiss all current faculty and replace them with individuals who align with the regime’s ideological views. They warned that this could lead to the transformation of educational institutions into Islamic seminaries.
The professors emphasized that most of them hold national and international degrees, have years of experience, and have published scientific articles in international journals. They argued that replacing qualified academic staff with religious scholars would severely restrict research and stifle scientific and academic activities in Afghanistan.
Additionally, the professors highlighted that the Taliban authorities oppose modern education and educated individuals. They also expressed grave concerns about their safety, claiming they are facing significant threats, including charges, detention, interrogation, and the risk of death.
Since regaining power after the withdrawal of international troops in August 2021, the Taliban has sought to assert control over Afghanistan’s education sector, converting many schools, public universities, and vocational training centers into madrasa-style religious institutions.
The Taliban has replaced modern subjects with religious ones, viewing the former as part of a so-called “cultural invasion by Western countries,” which they claim undermines their regime’s interests and policies. They have also established dozens of jihadi schools across the country, recruiting scholars with extremist ideologies to brainwash Afghan teenagers and train jihadi fighters and suicide bombers.
The Taliban’s efforts to dismantle secular education and replace it with radical religious instruction have raised significant concerns among observers and activists, who fear these actions could further the spread of extremist ideologies in Afghanistan.
