Taliban bans key university textbooks on womens rights, human rights and Western philosophy
Independent6 days
Taliban Ban Books by Women Authors from Afghan Universities
Above: Afghan men read books in a library at a private university in Kabul on July 22, 2024. Image copyright: Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
These educational reforms protect Afghan students from ideological contamination that undermines Islamic values and national sovereignty. Western and Iranian textbooks have long promoted secular worldviews that conflict with Afghanistan's religious foundation and cultural identity. The systematic removal of materials that contradict Sharia principles ensures education aligns with authentic Islamic scholarship rather than foreign agendas.
Government-critical narrative
This sweeping censorship devastates Afghanistan's higher education system by eliminating essential academic resources and isolating universities from global scholarship. Banning books simply because women wrote them has no basis in Islamic law and destroys educational quality. The removal of 679 textbooks leaves professors scrambling to create inferior replacements while students lose access to fundamental knowledge across all disciplines.
Metaculus Prediction
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.16.0
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.16.0