Tarz Press: A new report from “Scholars at Risk” (SAR), titled “The Academic Freedom Monitoring Project,” reveals that researchers and students, especially in Afghanistan, are facing serious threats to academic freedom and institutional independence. The report highlights how, under Taliban rule, numerous obstacles have been imposed on scholarly activities and education.
According to the report, the Taliban have been confiscating and banning books that conflict with Hanafi jurisprudence, and several university professors attempting to provide education for women have been arrested. In authoritarian societies, the right of researchers to teach and conduct studies is severely restricted through violent measures such as targeted killings and illegal detentions. Educational institutions and scholars are directly attacked, and the education system, especially during armed conflicts, suffers severe damage.
The report adds that the Taliban have issued orders to extend their control over educational content by directing higher education institutions and libraries to remove texts that contradict Hanafi teachings. One notable case is the arrest of Javid Kakar, the vice president of an online Afghan university that was created in response to the Taliban’s ban on female education. Kakar was detained due to questions about the university’s financial backing but was later released, prompting his resignation.
The Taliban’s crackdown on education continues with actions such as preventing approximately 60 women from traveling to Dubai for further studies. The women were informed that those holding student visas were not permitted to leave Afghanistan.
On December 14, 2023, Shakerullah Wahdat, head of the Taliban’s Ministry of Education’s Invitation and Guidance Department, signed a directive mandating the removal of any material that contradicts Hanafi jurisprudence and its replacement with books on the life of the Prophet Muhammad. These suppressive policies have led to the exodus of many university professors from Afghanistan as the Taliban systematically reshape the curriculum to align with their ideology.
Nadim, acting head of the Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education, has openly declared that evaluating Taliban members through academic examinations is an insult, insisting that military achievements should determine academic ranks.
The “Scholars at Risk” initiative tracks and identifies threats to academic freedom and aims to support vulnerable individuals, raise public awareness, and promote accountability. Since 2015, the organization has issued annual reports analyzing attacks on educational communities worldwide, covering developments and trends in 18 countries and regions, including Afghanistan, China, and Colombia.
In 2024 alone, 391 attacks on scholars, students, and educational institutions across 51 countries were documented, reflecting the destruction of education systems and the pressures of illiberal policies that severely undermine university independence and academic freedom.
The report stresses the importance of protecting academic travel rights and upholding universities as places of knowledge production and exchange. Threats and attacks on scholars and academic institutions endanger not only education systems but also the foundations of democracy.
Since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, SAR has worked to relocate university professors and Ph.D. students to safer locations and annually provides research opportunities for at-risk scholars. Since its establishment in 2000, SAR’s protection services have aided over 2,000 scholars, and for the 202
