In Afghan universities, the Taliban banned books written by women
Kyiv • UNN
The Taliban has banned books written by women and 18 academic subjects in Afghan universities, including human rights and gender studies. This decision also applies to books by Iranian authors, creating a significant gap in education.
The Taliban has removed books written by women from the university curriculum in Afghanistan as part of a new ban that also covers the teaching of human rights and sexual harassment. This was reported by the BBC, writes UNN.
Details
Approximately 140 books written by women — including titles such as "Safety in the Chemical Laboratory" — were included in a list of 680 titles deemed "problematic" due to "anti-Sharia content" or "inconsistency with Taliban policy."
Universities were also ordered to no longer teach 18 subjects. A Taliban representative explained that these disciplines "contradict the principles of Sharia and the policy of the system."
This decree is the latest in a series of restrictions that the Taliban has gradually implemented since returning to power four years ago.
Just this week, in at least 10 provinces, the use of fiber-optic internet was banned by order of the supreme Taliban leader — officially to "prevent immorality."
While these rules have affected various aspects of life, women and girls have been most impacted: they are prohibited from studying beyond the sixth grade. One of the last avenues for professional education was closed at the end of 2024 when midwifery courses were halted without announcement.
Now even university disciplines dedicated to women are under ban: six of the 18 prohibited subjects concern women specifically — including "Gender and Development," "The Role of Women in Communication," and "Sociology of Women."
The Taliban government states that it upholds women's rights in accordance with its interpretation of Afghan culture and Islamic law.
"Education Gap"
Zakia Adeli, former Deputy Minister of Justice before the Taliban's return to power, was also on the list of banned authors. She is not surprised by this move.
Given what the Taliban has been doing for the past four years, it was not difficult to predict changes in the curriculum. Considering the misogynistic policies and mindset of the Taliban, it is quite natural that if women are forbidden to study, then their ideas, thoughts, and texts are also subject to suppression.
Ziaur Rahman Aryubi, Deputy Director for Academic Affairs at the Taliban's Ministry of Higher Education, announced in a letter to universities that the decision was made by a group of "religious scholars and experts."
In addition to books written by women, the ban appears to have affected books by Iranian authors or publishers, with one member of the expert group on books telling the BBC that it was designed to "prevent Iranian content from entering" the Afghan curriculum.
A 50-page list sent to all universities in Afghanistan lists 679 titles, 310 of which are either written by Iranian writers or published in Iran.
But a professor at one of the educational institutions, who wished to remain anonymous, fears that filling this gap will be almost impossible.
Books by Iranian authors and translators serve as the primary link between Afghan universities and the global academic community. Their removal creates a significant void in higher education
A professor at Kabul University told the BBC that under such circumstances, they are forced to independently prepare textbook sections, taking into account the rules established by the "Taliban" government. But it is unclear whether these topics can be prepared according to global standards.