Taliban Book Ban Hits Universities and Women Authors
In another severe blow to free expression, Afghanistan’s Taliban government has banned 679 books, including 140 written by female authors, from university campuses. The sweeping ban, reported by the BBC on Friday, also prohibits lessons on human rights and sexual harassment.
A letter sent to Afghan universities by the Ministry of Higher Education stated that a panel of scholars ruled the texts violated the government’s interpretation of Islamic law. Alongside the book ban, 18 university courses have been outlawed, six of which focus on women, including Gender and Development and Women’s Sociology. Another 201 courses remain under review.
Al Jazeera notes the full list of banned titles has not been published yet, but it includes works on constitutional law, Islamic political movements, human rights, women’s studies, and Western political thought.
Afghanistan’s restrictions on women remain some of the harshest globally. Girls cannot study beyond primary school and must cover their faces in public. Much of the world has withheld recognition of the Taliban government, with Russia being the only country so far to extend recognition.
Of the banned books, 310 originated from Iran, reflecting tensions between the Taliban and Tehran over the expulsion of Afghan citizens from Iran. A member of the review committee told the BBC the ban seeks to prevent “Iranian content” from influencing Afghan curricula.Taliban Book Ban
Afghan professors warn the blacklisting cuts off vital academic connections. “It creates a substantial void in higher education,” one professor said, adding that teachers are scrambling to write new material under the Taliban’s limitations
Follow for more
