RASC News Agency: A coalition of Afghanistani university professors and researchers has submitted a formal protest letter to the United Nations, voicing alarm over the Taliban’s systematic efforts to convert Afghanistan’s universities into religious seminaries. They assert that the Taliban’s policies have eradicated opportunities for academic research, intellectual discourse, and scientific progress in the country. The letter, a copy of which has been shared with the media, discloses that the Taliban has recently undertaken sweeping actions, dismissing faculty members from private universities and suspending others. According to the letter, the Taliban has mandated that professors must pass a religious examination and secure reappointment under the group’s strict oversight.
The professors highlighted that those dismissed or suspended include scholars with significant national and international academic contributions. They view the Taliban’s actions as a calculated effort to impose ideological uniformity by converting universities into institutions of religious indoctrination. According to the letter, the Taliban’s ultimate objective is to systematically purge existing faculty and replace them with individuals aligned with their ideological framework, thereby transforming universities into platforms for disseminating their extremist beliefs. The professors described these measures as “the final dagger into the lifeless body of Afghanistan’s higher education system.”
The letter appealed to the United Nations to intervene, emphasizing that the Taliban’s policies have extinguished all avenues for academic and intellectual pursuits in Afghanistan. The professors accused the Taliban of harboring deep hostility toward modern education and educated individuals, employing oppressive measures to suppress them. The letter also revealed the grave risks faced by academics, including unfounded accusations, relentless interrogations, death threats, and other life-threatening dangers. These dire circumstances have forced many scholars to flee Afghanistan to ensure their safety. Despite being in exile, they expressed their commitment to continuing their academic and civic contributions abroad.
The professors urged host nations to recognize their professional and academic qualifications and to provide opportunities for them to resume their work, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to their fields of expertise. Earlier this year, The Diplomat magazine, in an article marking the third anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power, reported that the group has “overhauled” Afghanistan’s higher education system, aiming to “reconstruct” Afghanistani society according to its ideological vision. Furthermore, in March 2024, the Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education conducted exams for 51,000 Madrasa graduates nationwide, offering master’s degrees to those who passed, a move widely criticized as undermining academic integrity and the value of higher education in the country.
