Photo: Omer Abrar / AFP, via RFI Afghan women and girls under Taliban rule are facing severe restrictions. They are deprived of education and work, and many hold only the hope of leaving the country. Radio France Internationale (RFI) reported on Sunday, August 24, that Sheila Noori, founder of the Afghan Women’s Organization in France, has been able to travel to Afghanistan for the first time in four years. During her visit, she traveled to 15 provinces and spoke with women, girls, and men about their living conditions and psychological problems. According to Noori, girls have been stopped from attending school from the age of 13, and many women and girls are in poor psychological condition. She says women’s access to work, recreational centers, and health services has also become very limited. Noori also said that children are under pressure as well, with many forced to work on the streets to help their families. She added that attempts to leave the country come with many difficulties, as obtaining passports and visas is both costly and difficult. Meanwhile, many Afghans hope that the international community will increase pressure on the Taliban to create conditions for women to return to education and work.

Social Media The Taliban have flogged a woman and a man in Ghazni province on charges of “extramarital relations.” According to a statement issued by the group’s Supreme Court on Saturday, August 23, the two individuals were tried in Chaghto district and each sentenced to three months in prison and 30 lashes. This comes as international organizations, including Amnesty International, have once again called for an immediate end to corporal punishments by the group, coinciding with the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power. Since reclaiming control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have repeatedly flogged dozens of men and women in public on various charges. This practice has drawn widespread international condemnation, but the Taliban continue to justify it as the “implementation of Islamic Sharia.”

Image sources: AFP, via Al Jazeera & Wikipedia Writer: Tamim Attaiy– Afghan Journalist in Exile From Closing Schools to Shutting Down Girls’ Religious Schools Nowhere in the modern world, except for Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, has education faced such all-out and relentless hostility. Since the fall of Kabul on August 15, 2021, the Taliban have systematically and gradually shut the doors of education on girls: first middle and high schools, then universities, and now even girls’ religious schools, which they themselves once introduced as a “Sharia-compliant” alternative to modern education. This trend shows that the Taliban's policy is not just about restricting modern education, but about the absolute elimination of knowledge and silencing any form of literacy and awareness for women. They have gradually closed all possible channels for girls to access knowledge so that no window remains for the development of independent thinking. According to Al Arabiya Farsi’s report, last week, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s leader, ordered at a cabinet meeting in Kandahar that all girls’ religious schools be shut down. His reason was both shocking and alarming: in these schools, along with the Quran and Hadith, subjects such as science, mathematics, and language were also being taught; fields of knowledge that the Taliban leader described as “dangerous” for Afghan girls. This stance not only reveals the extent of the Taliban’s prejudice and hostility toward girls' education but also reflects a deeper fear: the Taliban fear knowledge more than anything else; knowledge that can lead to questioning, empowerment, and liberation. Closing the doors of schools and universities was not enough; even limited religious education must be so stripped of any element of knowledge that the Afghan woman ultimately remains only a tool for obedience and reproduction. Ideologization Instead of Education The Taliban and the Death of Free Education in Afghanistan The Taliban have not only closed schools; they are seeking to completely change the nature of education. This group, by rewriting textbooks, removing social and natural sciences, and replacing them with extremist religious interpretations, has turned education into a tool for reinforcing their ideology. In schools known as “Jihadi” schools, children learn suicide slogans and militant teachings instead of math and chemistry. These educational centers have turned into small military camps that produce obedient fighters instead of nurturing citizens. For girls, the situation is even worse. In religious schools, they are indoctrinated with the idea that “a woman is created only for obedience and reproduction.” Such brainwashing destroys girls’ freedom and identity at the root. In reality, Taliban-run schools are no longer educational institutions; they are factories of brainwashing where thought, questioning, and intellectual freedom are suppressed. The result of such a process is the upbringing of a generation that is not creative and inquisitive, but captive to ideology and the cycle of violence. The Taliban’s Ongoing Hostility Toward Women’s Education The past four years have clearly shown that the Taliban are not merely against the form or structure of education, but against the very existence of women in the realm of knowledge and society. In the Taliban worldview, a woman is not an independent human being with inherent rights, but a tool for reproduction, servitude, and obedience to men. This hostility is so deep that even the acceptance of all strict conditions and restrictions has not been enough to open a path to education for girls. They agreed to observe full Islamic hijab, to sit in separate classrooms, and to study under the direct supervision of Taliban-appointed teachers and administrators. Yet, even so, the gates to schools and universities remained closed to them. This reality shows that the Taliban's issue is not with the “form” of education, but with the very “right to know” for women. In the Taliban system, women have been eliminated from all spheres of social life: From education, which is the key to awareness and empowerment From work and the economy, which enable financial independence and participation in production From politics and decision-making, which could bring their voices into the structures of power And even from the simple right to travel without a male guardian, which guarantees personal autonomy Among all these restrictions, education has become the main symbol of the systematic erasure of women. The Taliban have realized that knowledge is the greatest threat to the survival of their ideology, because a woman who reads and learns can no longer remain blindly obedient. That is why the Taliban’s war on women’s education is, in fact, a war against thought, questioning, and freedom. The Taliban’s Clear Contradiction The recent decision by Mullah Hibatullah to shut down girls’ religious schools once again exposed the deep contradiction within the Taliban. Over the past four years, the group repeatedly claimed that they had no objection to “Islamic and Sharia-compliant” education for girls and that their problem was only with “Western and non-religious” education. They even justified the closure of schools and universities by saying that, instead, Islamic education would be provided for girls. Now, however, the truth has become clear: the Taliban could not tolerate even their own self-made alternative. The order to close girls’ religious schools shows that the problem for this group lies not in the type or content of education, but in the very principle of education for women. In other words, the Taliban are at odds with every form of women’s learning; whether modern or religious. This clear contradiction deals a major blow to the legitimacy of the Taliban’s claims. With this action, they demonstrated that their promises were nothing but deceptive tactics meant to calm public opinion. The decision to ban even religious education for girls proves that the Taliban fundamentally view educated women as a threat to the survival of their ideology. In reality, for the Taliban, a woman must remain in her traditional and restricted position: within the four walls of the home, obedient to men, and without any need for knowledge that could lead to intellectual and social independence. The closure of girls’ religious schools is the final act in this contradictory show, exposing clearly that the Taliban have never believed in women’s education and never will. A Ray of Light in the Heart of Darkness Although this decision is yet another blow to the right to education for Afghan girls, it carries within it a positive point: girls will now be safe from Taliban brainwashing in these schools. This limited opportunity can lead families and girls toward alternative paths — secret courses, online education, and civil society initiatives. As a result, the closure of girls’ religious schools is part of a broader policy: erasing women from Afghan society. By banning schools, universities, and now even religious education, the Taliban have condemned half the population of the country to illiteracy and isolation. But history has shown that no power can silence the thirst for knowledge. Afghan girls, despite threats and suppression, continue to study in secret and online classrooms. The Taliban can close the doors, but they cannot destroy the desire to learn.

Photo: © AFP via msn Written by Fakhria Samandari, University Lecturer In a world where the doors of education are being closed one by one to girls, in a land where being a woman sometimes means silence and isolation, I, Fakhria Samandari, stand to tell the story of a woman who, out of suffering, created a mission; a woman who, in the heart of darkness, lit a lamp of hope for future generations. I was born in Afghanistan, in a family where traditionalism and social pressures cast their shadow over life decisions. I began my primary education in migration and under difficult circumstances in Pakistan. With my return to Kabul, full of hopes and dreams, I entered Sayed Noor Mohammad Shah Meena Girls’ High School. While many of my peers were forced into early marriage, I too could not escape this fate. I married at a young age; a marriage that was not by choice, but by compulsion and the will of my family. During fourteen years of married life, I repeatedly lived under the heavy shadow of violence, neglect, and disrespect. Yet one thing I never lost was hope. In the midst of all that suffering, I was a mother who wanted a brighter future for my five children, especially my daughters. With countless difficulties, I continued my education up to a bachelor’s degree in Law and Political Science and then in Education, while also teaching in private schools. But I was not only a teacher; I had a dream. Establishing the Gawharshad Begum Online School In the years when extremist groups shut down girls’ schools and many girls were left behind closed doors, silence became more painful to me than death. I could not stand by and watch as girls who should have been in classrooms were forced to stay at home. That is why, with limited resources but an iron will, I founded the Gawharshad Begum Online School. In this school, hundreds of girls from different parts of Afghanistan study free of charge, despite challenges such as internet issues, power outages, and lack of financial support. Everything is voluntary, with no sponsors, but with a heart full of faith. The Pen and Education: Two Frontlines of Resistance I took up the pen to be the voice of the silenced girls of my homeland. I wrote the book “Girls’ Education from the Perspective of Islam” to respond, through the language of religion, to those who consider women’s education forbidden. My article titled “Feminist Approaches and Their Challenges in Islamic Society” was another effort toward intellectual dialogue and clearing misunderstandings. Alongside managing the online school, I continued teaching in private schools and collaborated with Zan Online University, Roshan Afghanistan University, Anar Academy, Harvard Academy, the New Generation of Afghanistan Organization, and the Voice of Afghan Women Movement. Despite the heavy responsibilities of motherhood, teaching, and administration, I stay up until midnight each night designing curricula, supporting students, and running awareness programs. Challenges and Unkindness There are many challenges: unkindness, deprivation, lack of support, and psychological pressure. But I believe that it is within these very hardships that a person is shaped. Throughout this journey, I received nothing but unkindness and mistrust from my family. Whenever I asked for help, my parents would say, “You are no longer our responsibility. Obey your husband.” But I followed the command of my own heart and mind. Many enemies stood in my way, those who did not want a woman to emerge from darkness and shine a light of hope. But I did not give up. Hope for the Girls of This Land In the heart of dark nights and hopeless days, I made my daughters and the daughters of this land the guiding light of my path. I believe that education is the key to liberation and breaking the chains of ignorance. Every step I took toward educating girls not only changed their lives but also gave hope to a society that will one day reach justice and freedom. Today, the Gawharshad Begum Online School is more than an educational institution; it is a movement, a resistance, and a powerful voice for the rights of Afghan women and girls. This school is a symbol of Afghan women’s defiance in the face of oppression and darkness. To every woman standing on the path of change and freedom, I say: You are not alone. Whenever you feel powerless, remember the woman who lit a lamp of hope in the heart of darkness and continued this path to this very day. I, Fakhria Samandari, with all the pain and failures, but with a heart full of hope and determination, believe in a bright future for the women of Afghanistan and I strive for it.

Exclusive Following the deadly traffic incident on Herat’s ring road that claimed the lives of dozens of Afghan migrants, international organizations including UNICEF and UNAMA have expressed sympathy with the victims' families and called for the return of Afghan migrants to be ensured in a “safe, dignified, and voluntary” manner. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) stated on Thursday, August 21, in response to the incident that it is “shocked” by the deaths of children, women, and men who had returned from Iran, and expressed condolences to their families. UNICEF also stated in a message on X that it is deeply saddened by the deaths of returnees, especially children, in the incident and is closely monitoring the situation. Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF’s Regional Director for South Asia, also reacted to the incident, writing, “A few weeks ago at the Islam Qala border, I met children and families who were shaken, traumatized, yet hopeful.” He emphasized, “This is why UNICEF is calling for returns to be safe, dignified, voluntary, and phased.” The incident occurred on Tuesday evening, August 19, when a 580-type passenger bus carrying deported migrants from Iran, traveling from Islam Qala to Kabul, collided first with a motorcycle and then with a fuel truck in the ring road area of Guzara district. The vehicle caught fire, killing at least 79 people, including 19 children. The Taliban announced that the victims were members of 17 families and residents of the provinces of Kabul, Ghazni, Parwan, Kapisa, Baghlan, Kunduz, and Daikundi. Due to the severity of the burns, the victims' bodies could not be identified and were transferred to the 400-bed hospital in Kabul.

Photo: © Reuters / Al Arabiya As part of the Taliban’s continued anti-women policies, religious schools are now also being closed to Afghan girls. Al Arabiya reported on Wednesday, August 20, that Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered the gradual suspension of girls’ enrollment in religious schools. According to the report, the order was issued during a recent Taliban meeting in Kandahar, where the group’s Ministries of Education and Higher Education were instructed to gradually stop registering girls in religious schools. It is said that the reason behind this decision is Akhundzada’s concern over the teaching of “modern subjects” such as mathematics, languages, and natural sciences in religious schools — something he claims undermines the religious character of these institutions. The Al Arabiya report also adds that the Kandahar meeting was highly contentious, with some Taliban members openly opposing their leader’s decision — a sign of growing division within the Taliban’s power structure. This comes as human rights organizations, international bodies including the United Nations, and many countries have repeatedly condemned such actions by the Taliban, calling them a blatant violation of Afghan women’s fundamental rights.

Image credit: Wakil Kohsar / AFP via Al-Monitor Written by Mursal Qaisari, Afghan student in Pakistan The forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran is the most tragic and heartbreaking news we hear these days. Thousands of Afghans who had built their lives in Iran for years are now forced to leave their homes, jobs, and return to Afghanistan. Men, women, and children are all being sent back against their will, without any assistance, without shelter, and without any hope. This is not just a matter of migration or politics; it is a shared human pain. What we ask from the people of Iran is to feel the pain of those who once left their homeland out of compulsion. I am also a migrant who lives in Pakistan and studies. I have never been in Iran, but I deeply understand what it feels like to be away from one’s homeland and I feel the pain of my people who are treated unjustly. I know how difficult it is when you feel you do not belong anywhere. Many people of Afghanistan did not migrate to Iran by their own choice but because they were searching for safety. Thousands of Afghans over the past years fled war, poverty, persecution, and sought refuge in Iran. They only had simple hopes; to survive, to work, to see their daughters go to school, and to keep their sons away from war. But now, these people are being driven out with tearful eyes and with the sorrow of losing everything they had tirelessly built over the years in Iran. Images from the Afghanistan-Iran border tell us the real stories. These photos show children sleeping on ground, mothers with weary faces, and silent men with eyes full of pain. No one asks where they will go, what they will do, or who will support them. These people are not criminals, but they are treated like criminals. Most of them have worked in Iran for years, served the people of Iran, even bought homes, and some of them have even established their own businesses. But now, all of them have been forced to leave Iran. Even those who were born and raised in Iran are facing forced deportation. But why is the world still silent? The international community must be aware of this situation. They must open their eyes. The world must not remain a silent spectator. The deportation of thousands of people, despite having lived in Iran for years, is an injustice. This is happening while Afghanistan itself is facing major challenges, and this deportation has added new crises to the country. Most of these individuals are unemployed, hopeless, and homeless, which worsens the situation. As someone who lives in exile, I know what it feels like to be away from your country. I did not leave my homeland by choice or with joy. I packed my bags because I had no other option. I was forced to choose migration so that I could continue my education and build a better future for myself. Most of those who are now trapped between the borders of Afghanistan and Iran were just like me. They had dreams and goals, but no one heard them, and their dreams were buried between the borders. Among these individuals were families who migrated to Iran solely for the sake of their daughters' education, but that dream remained just a dream. What I ask from the people of Iran is only humanity, nothing more. We want you to feel our pain. Mass deportation and humiliation in the streets and media not only hurt the conscience, but also damage the historic relationship between the two nations. I ask the people of Iran not to allow this to happen and not to remain silent when they see Afghans suffering from such pain. I want them to feel the pain of a girl who has just left her country to pursue her education, or the pain of a man who left his family behind in Afghanistan and migrated to Iran so that he could support them. All of them came to your country for a reason, and we want you to understand us. Afghans and Iranians are not enemies. We are all human beings with a shared language and religion. When governments are silent, it is the people who must raise their voices. This is what we ask of the people of Iran. We migrants are human. Migration is pain, but it is not a crime. Those who were once forced to leave should not be punished again for leaving behind the homes they built with great effort in another country. Perhaps our voices are silent today, but we will never forget the pain of these days. One day, we too will rise, and the world will hear our voice. Until that day, the only thing we ask is to be treated with humanity.

Sent to Zan TV At least 79 people, including 19 children, have lost their lives in a traffic accident on the ring road of Herat province. The victims were mostly returnee migrants from Iran. According to sources, the incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 19, on the ring road in Guzara district of Herat. Eyewitnesses say that a 580-type passenger vehicle carrying migrants first collided with a motorcycle and then with a Mazda cargo truck, after which the 580 vehicle caught fire. According to witnesses, many of the passengers in the 580 vehicle died in the resulting fire. Abdul Matin Qane, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior, confirmed the incident and said that among the victims were 19 children. This tragedy comes as last year, more than 60 people lost their lives in two separate traffic accidents on the Kandahar highway.

Photo Credit: UN Women/Sayed Habib Bidell UN Women has warned that four years after the Taliban’s return to power, Afghan women and girls are being deprived of their fundamental rights; deprivations that are severely threatening their health, education, and security. In a new report published by this body, it is stated that 78 percent of Afghan women and young girls are deprived of the right to education, employment, and vocational training; a figure four times higher than the deprivation rate among boys. According to the report, the Taliban’s strict restrictions on women’s mobility and the ban on medical education have forced many women to travel long distances even to access basic health services. In many cases, healthcare is entirely out of their reach. The UN has warned that if these conditions continue, by 2026 there could be a 45 percent increase in early pregnancies and more than a 50 percent rise in maternal mortality. Other consequences of these restrictions include a rise in child marriage, the spread of poverty, and a mental health crisis among families. These remarks come as the Taliban, over the past four years, have imposed severe restrictions, banning girls above grade six from schooling and women from pursuing university education. Despite repeated global calls to respect human rights, especially women’s rights, the Taliban have so far given no positive response to any of these demands.

Shamayel Tawanah Naseri, head of the “Afghanistan Women’s Movement for Justice and Freedom,” says that her brother, Mohammad Naseri, has been arrested by Taliban intelligence and that her family still has no information about his fate. Naseri told the media that her brother was arrested last Saturday, August 9, in the Dasht-e-Barchi area of western Kabul, and so far the family has received no contact or indication of where he is being held. Four days ago, this women’s rights activist had announced her brother’s disappearance on social media and had called on domestic and international institutions to help find him and clarify his situation. The Taliban have not commented on the matter so far. It is worth noting that since returning to power, the Taliban have repeatedly arrested and imprisoned protesting women and their relatives. These actions are seen as part of a policy of pressure and intimidation aimed at silencing the voices of Afghan women demanding justice.