Taliban Bans 679 Books and Removes 18 University Subjects

As the fall semester begins in Afghanistan’s universities, the Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education has officially banned the use and teaching of 679 textbooks and reference books.

According to an official letter sent to public and private universities, the decision was made by a committee composed of Taliban clerics, ministry officials, and professors from the Faculties of Sharia and Islamic Culture.

The letter, signed by Zia-ur-Rahman Aryoubi, Deputy Minister for Academic Affairs, states that the reviewed books were found to have “ideological, intellectual, cultural, religious, and academic problems” and therefore may no longer be taught or used in higher education institutions. The list of prohibited books has been circulated in a 50-page annex.

In addition to the book ban, the Taliban has eliminated 18 university subjects and ordered the review of 201 others. Subjects that have been completely removed include: Constitutional Law of Afghanistan, Human Rights and Democracy, Good Governance, Gender and Development, History of Religions, Sociology of Women, Sexual Harassment, Electoral Systems, and The Role of Women in Public Communication.

The restrictions affect a wide range of academic fields, including Law and Political Science, Social Sciences, Journalism, Economics, Languages and Literature, Fine Arts, Psychology, Medicine, Engineering, and Agriculture. The largest number of cuts has taken place in the Faculties of Law and Political Science.

This move is part of the Taliban’s broader policy of “Islamicizing the curriculum,” which has been pursued since last year by a 55-member committee. In recent months, the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture has also removed hundreds of books and printed works from bookstores and libraries, citing “contradiction with Islamic values.”