New Delhi, Oct 8 (EFE).- Afghanistan is among the countries with the least academic freedom after the Taliban came to power three years ago, which was not only accompanied by restrictions on female education, but also by the promotion of religious education and the persecution of dissidents in universities.
These are the conclusions of the annual Free to Think 2024 report, prepared by the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project of Scholars at Risk, which indicates that Afghanistan fell to the 10% of countries with the least academic freedom in the world due to the rise of fundamentalists.
Before the arrival of the Taliban, in August 2021, the report considered Afghanistan a “somewhat free” country in terms of academic freedom, but the measures adopted by fundamentalists in the last three years caused it to currently receive the title of ” completely restricted.”
The veto on women’s access to secondary and higher education is the most notable change that the country has experienced, increasingly confining Afghan women to the private sphere, but other measures that explain this setback also stand out.
This is the case of the arrest of the vice-chancellor of Roshan Afghanistan Online University (RAO), Javed Kakar, last January, accused of inaugurating this educational center to continue allowing female education.
According to the report, Kakar was held for two weeks, during which he was interrogated and tortured, and was not released until he promised to resign from his position at the university.
Added to this is the travel ban of around sixty Afghan women at the Kabul airport, who were denied leaving the country in August 2023 even though they had visas to study in Dubai.
Afghanistan has also undergone significant changes to its academic curriculum, the report noted, after the de facto government last December ordered higher education institutions and libraries to remove all texts contrary to Hanafi, the strictest of the four main schools of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence, and replace them with books focused on the biography of the Prophet Muhammad.
Along these lines, the Taliban encouraged the access of madrasa students to public employment, granting them degrees equivalent to high school or university diplomas, with a view to promoting religious education. EFE
Is the Taliban still in control of Afghanistan 2024
Academic Freedom in Afghanistan: A Bleak Reality Under the Taliban
As a prominent blog news writer, I recently came across a disturbing report highlighting the dire state of academic freedom in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. The country has plummeted to become one of the worst in terms of academic freedom, with restrictions on female education, promotion of religious education, and persecution of dissidents in universities, as per the findings of the annual Free to Think 2024 report prepared by the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project of Scholars at Risk [[not provided in the search results]].
This disturbing trend has been echoed in various reports and statements from prominent organizations, such as the International Studies Association (ISA), which called upon the Afghan government to respect academic freedom and comply with its international obligations [[2]]. Moreover, the Education International organization has urged the Afghan authorities to respect the rights and freedoms of education professionals, including academic freedom [[3]].
The situation has become so severe that even scholars are facing direct threats and risks to their lives. For instance, a report by the Schulich School of Law at Western University highlighted the case of Afghan scholar Shayan, who faced Taliban threats in his pursuit of freedom and was forced to take precautions to avoid being taken hostage and leveraged to gain control over his brothers [[1]].
The Taliban’s promotion of religious education has led to a significant decline in the quality of education and the curriculum, with many universities focusing on teaching Islamic subjects rather than science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This shift has limited the scope for critical thinking and intellectual exploration, further eroding academic freedom.
Furthermore, the restrictions on female education have been a major concern, with the Taliban imposing a ban on girls’ education beyond sixth grade. This move has been widely condemned by the international community, with many organizations advocating for women’s access to higher education and academic freedom [[2]].
the situation of academic freedom in Afghanistan is alarming, and it requires immediate attention from the international community. The Taliban regime must respect academic freedom, ensure access to education for all, including women, and promote a culture of critical thinking and intellectual exploration in Afghan universities. As scholars, writers, and activists, it is our responsibility to highlight these issues and advocate for the fundamental rights of education and academic freedom.
References:
[[1]]https://www.schulich.uwo.ca/about/news/2023/june/scholarsatrisk.html
[[2]]https://www.isanet.org/News/ID/6297/ISA-Statement-on-Womens-Access-to-Higher-Education-and-Academic-Freedom-in-Afghanistan
[[3]]https://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/26537:afghanistan-the-taliban-regime-must-stop-its-attacks-on-the-teaching-profession
