Taliban Adds More Religious Subjects to University Curriculum
August 25, 2022
Officials from the Ministry of Higher Education of the Taliban government stated on Tuesday, August 16 (25th of Asad), that students in Afghan universities will now be required to attend more religious subjects in their courses.
Abdul Baqi Haqqani, the Minister of Higher Education of the Taliban government, said, "We are adding five more religious subjects to the existing eight, which include topics like Islamic history, politics, and governance."
Haqqani, speaking at a press conference, mentioned that none of the current subjects being taught will be removed.
However, in some faculties, subjects related to music and sculpture, which conflict with the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islam, have been removed. Additionally, the teaching of some other subjects has been halted due to the departure of university professors from Afghanistan.

The Taliban’s expansion of religious subjects and removal of disciplines like music and sculpture signals a shift toward ideological control over higher education. This undermines academic freedom, restricts the right to education, and violates freedom of expression, cultural rights, and non-discrimination by narrowing curricular diversity and suppressing alternative viewpoints.