Throughout history, totalitarian regimes have sought to control knowledge and suppress awareness, recognizing that an informed society is the greatest threat to their survival. The Taliban, one of the most regressive and ideologically driven groups ruling Afghanistan, have demonstrated this through their bans on women’s education and the widespread suppression of academic institutions. For them, ignorance is not just a tool but a fundamental strategy for consolidating power. Aware of the crucial role of education in transforming societies, the Taliban deliberately keep the population in a state of unawareness and passivity, using this as a means to legitimize their rule.
One of the Taliban’s first moves after seizing power was the widespread closure of girls’ schools and the imposition of severe restrictions on universities. This decision is not just a reflection of religious extremism but part of a broader strategy to maintain control over society. The Taliban fully understand that an educated population will challenge their ideological foundations, which is why they systematically eliminate opportunities for intellectual growth, social critique, and change.
Suppressing education for women, in particular, is a deliberate effort to prevent the rise of a social force that could resist their patriarchal, fundamentalist, and authoritarian rule. Educated women are not just economically independent but can also play a transformative role in shaping political and social change. Therefore, by closing schools and universities to girls, the Taliban effectively strip them of the right to determine their own futures.
The Taliban claim their policies are rooted in Islamic principles, but a closer examination reveals that they are not adhering to authentic Islamic teachings, but rather exploiting a rigid, extremist interpretation to strengthen their control. While many Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, which was once highly conservative, have moved towards educational reform, the Taliban continue to cling to medieval policies.
The Taliban’s ban on women’s education is not a religious issue, but a political tool to consolidate power. For the Taliban, ignorance is an asset—the less people know, the less they question, and the less they resist. They understand that if women receive an education, a new generation of intellectuals, social activists, and political leaders will emerge to oppose their oppressive rule.
One of their tactics for sustaining their rule is the expansion of religious schools (madrasas) under their control, where only their extremist ideology is taught. This policy not only prevents real education but also indoctrinates children into an extremist mindset that promotes blind obedience.
The Taliban’s imposed education system is a powerful tool to shape the minds of the next generation according to their own ideology. In this system, modern sciences, critical thinking, and essential life skills have no place. Instead, the sole objective is to produce followers who will unquestioningly obey their decrees.
Banning women from education is not just an educational crisis—it has far-reaching effects on the economy and social structure. In any society where half the population is denied education and employment, development stalls, and poverty, dependence, and inequality reach extreme levels. Afghanistan, which was already struggling economically, is now on the brink of a long-term crisis due to the Taliban’s anti-education policies.
On a social level, excluding women from education and employment increases their dependence on men and strengthens patriarchal dominance. This, in turn, fuels domestic violence, forced marriages, and restricts women’s access to their basic rights. In such a society, women not only lose opportunities for personal growth but also cease to exist as a force for change.
History has shown that attempts to suppress knowledge always fail. The Taliban may temporarily suppress education, but they cannot eliminate the desire to learn. Today, Afghan women and girls continue to resist this oppression. Underground schools, online education, and secret learning initiatives all demonstrate that the thirst for knowledge is stronger than the Taliban’s repression.
While the Taliban may use force to control education, they cannot sustain this strategy indefinitely. A society that was once accustomed to learning and progress will not easily regress. Sooner or later, domestic pressure, international sanctions, and growing internal discontent will force the Taliban to reconsider their policies.
By banning women’s education, the Taliban have actually created their greatest challenge—a new generation of Afghan women who will fight for their right to learn and be free. While the Taliban seek to secure their rule through repression, the more they suppress education, the greater the resistance becomes.
The world witnesses how the Taliban, instead of investing in Afghanistan’s future, are destroying it with their medieval policies. However, history has proven that no regime can permanently suppress knowledge and awareness. The human desire for learning is unstoppable, even in the darkest of times.
And this truth is the greatest threat to a regime that depends on ignorance for its survival.
