Citizens: Taliban Are Using Mosques, Education and Media to Talibanise Society

Image: © Omer Abrar / AFP

A number of citizens in different provinces of Afghanistan say the Taliban are using mosques, domestic media, the education system and street surveillance to shape society according to their own interpretations and laws. They believe this process has restricted individual freedoms and is having a profound impact on the minds of children and adolescents.

Zulaikha Faizi, a resident of Takhar province, told Zan News that the Taliban use every opportunity to promote their ideology.

She said: “My child goes to the mosque, and when he returns home, everything he talks about is what the Taliban have said. Taliban officials deliver speeches on television, radio stations broadcast programmes and religious songs approved by them, and people are also forced in the streets to behave according to their rules.”

According to her, this situation is increasingly exposing children and adolescents to propaganda and ideological teaching.

Najla Munawar, a female teacher in Kabul, also says the Taliban have introduced sweeping changes to the education system, which she believes have affected both the curriculum and teaching methods.

She added: “The Taliban have even changed the way lessons are taught. A child who still has little understanding of the world is confronted with a worldview defined by the Taliban. Many textbooks have been changed, and the educational environment has also taken on an ideological character. If this continues, it could have serious consequences for the future of society.”

Meanwhile, some sociologists warn that the continuation of these policies could have long-term effects on Afghanistan’s social structure.

Faridon Qazizada, a sociologist, said: “The minds of children and adolescents are like a blank page and should be developed through knowledge, awareness and human values. If education is based on coercion, the elimination of intellectual diversity and ideological indoctrination, its consequences will become visible in future generations. Such a process could lead to the spread of violence, reduced tolerance and restrictions on critical thinking in society.”

In recent months, numerous reports have emerged about the imposition of social restrictions, changes to educational content and increased monitoring of citizens’ behaviour in different parts of Afghanistan.

The Taliban, however, have repeatedly insisted that their measures and regulations are based on their interpretation of Islamic Sharia and are intended to reform society.

Critics say that the continuation of these policies, alongside sweeping restrictions on education, the media and civil liberties, could create serious challenges for Afghanistan’s social future and lead to the emergence of a generation increasingly exposed to ideological teaching.