RASC News Agency: The Taliban-led Ministry of Higher Education has issued an official directive instructing universities across Afghanistan to administer both written and oral qualification exams for their professors. According to the letter, issued by the Directorate of Appointments and Academic Promotions, these examinations are to follow specific guidelines, with materials prepared and provided by the Taliban’s so-called “Society of Religious Specializations.” The directive further outlines that the examination committee will be chaired by the head of the Society of Religious Specializations within the Ministry of Higher Education. Additional members will include the deans of Sharia faculties from public universities and a selected professor from each province.
This move has been met with fierce criticism. Fazel Hadi Wazin, a prominent university professor, condemned the initiative, stating that “history will document this shameful act,” describing it as a blatant “insult” to Afghanistan’s academic community. He emphasized that the exams are being overseen by “military commanders and Madrasa-trained clerics with no university education,” targeting professors of Sharia studies who hold advanced academic titles such as PhDs, master’s degrees, and other scholarly credentials.
Observers and academics have noted that the Taliban’s approach to Islam and Sharia is heavily influenced by the doctrines of “Deobandi Madrasas,” which starkly conflict with broader progressive Islamic perspectives. Critics assert that these exams have little to do with assessing academic qualifications. Instead, the true purpose appears to be an ideological vetting process aimed at gauging the religious and sectarian conformity of professors. The underlying goal, many argue, is to dismiss current faculty members under the guise of insufficient religious knowledge and replace them with individuals aligned with the Taliban’s extremist ideology, effectively legitimizing them as university educators.
