RASC News Agency: Sources report that the Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education has terminated the positions of 16 university professors from Kabul Polytechnic University and the faculties of law, agriculture, and education at Kunar University. These dismissals were reportedly based on accusations of being affiliated with “Salafism.” An anonymous professor from Kunar University disclosed to media outlets that the terminated educators were accused of adhering to Salafist and Wahhabi ideologies. Furthermore, an official document from the Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education, widely shared on social media, confirms that four professors teaching Islamic Studies were removed and replaced with new appointees.
A source within the ministry stated that the decision to purge faculty members with Wahhabi affiliations was made at the highest levels of Taliban leadership. The ministry aims to replace these individuals with professors whose ideological perspectives align more closely with the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam. This move is not unprecedented. The Taliban has previously dismissed numerous university professors under various pretenses. Faculty members who had maintained their academic credentials and continued teaching since the collapse of the previous government have also faced termination. A directive from the Taliban had previously been issued to institutions in Kunar, explicitly forbidding the hiring of individuals associated with Salafism.
It is important to note that during the two decades of the Republic, Salafist factions often exercised significant influence, condemning diverse religious practices and beliefs as heretical. Leveraging the freedom of expression of that era, they frequently denounced others, declaring wide swathes of society outside the bounds of Islam. Ironically, these same individuals now find themselves ensnared in the cycle of excommunication they once wielded against others. The Taliban’s actions underscore their determination to consolidate control over educational institutions, enforcing ideological conformity while marginalizing those whose beliefs deviate from their strict interpretations.
This development further exemplifies the Taliban’s broader agenda of reshaping Afghanistan society in alignment with their extremist views.
