RASC News Agency: The Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education, introducing a new academic classification system under the titles “Aalia” and “Aalimia,” has announced the commencement of distributing bachelor’s and master’s degree certificates to 600 clerics in Farah province. Ahmadullah Rashtin, the official overseeing the distribution of religious certificates at the ministry, stated in an interview with the Taliban-controlled national television that hundreds of clerics had undergone examinations, and 600 candidates had successfully achieved passing scores.
He explained: “The small Aalia course is equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, while the larger Aalimia course is considered equivalent to a master’s degree. The corresponding certificates have been prepared and are now ready for distribution.” Abdul Zahir Siddiqi, an administrative member of the Farah Institute of Higher Education, affirmed that the distribution process is being carried out under direct instructions from senior Taliban leadership.
He added: “Those awarded these certificates will be eligible to pursue doctoral studies and may also leverage these credentials to secure employment opportunities.” Previously, the Taliban had distributed similar bachelor’s and master’s certificates to their ideological affiliates in Kabul and several other provinces. Critics warn that such actions are severely undermining the academic standards of Afghanistan’s higher education sector.
Several university professors have argued that the issuance of these academically unsubstantiated certificates will have a profoundly detrimental impact on the intellectual and professional environment of the country. Moreover, the Taliban have dismissed numerous professional professors from universities under various pretexts, replacing them with clerics loyal to their regime. They have systematically placed their affiliates within academic institutions, aiming to bring universities firmly under ideological control.
Former university professors have voiced grave concerns that the Taliban are effectively transforming universities into “extremist religious seminaries,” warning that this trend could lead to the further radicalization of Afghanistani society and a surge in future violence.
