New Delhi, Sept 19: The Taliban government has ordered the removal of hundreds of books from Afghanistan’s university system, including over 140 authored by women, and banned 18 academic subjects, citing conflicts with Sharia law and state policies, according to BBC reports. Among the prohibited titles are textbooks such as Safety in the Chemical Laboratory.
Officials said the restrictions target materials deemed “anti-Sharia and against Taliban policies.” Six of the banned subjects specifically focus on women, including Gender and Development, The Role of Women in Communication, and Women’s Sociology.
The decree, issued in late August and circulated to universities, was signed by Ziaur Rahman Aryubi, deputy academic director of the Taliban-run Ministry of Higher Education. Aryubi stated that the decisions followed recommendations from a panel of religious scholars and experts. The order also bars books by Iranian authors or publishers, with 310 of the 679 prohibited titles falling under this category, aiming to limit “infiltration of Iranian content” in academic curricula.
Since regaining power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions on women and girls, including barring schooling beyond the sixth grade and excluding them from midwifery training programs since late 2024. This week, the group also banned fibre-optic internet in at least ten provinces, reportedly to curb “immorality.”
Zakia Adeli, former deputy justice minister and one of the affected authors, condemned the move: “When women themselves are not allowed to study, their views, ideas, and writings are also suppressed.” The Taliban maintain that women’s rights are respected “in accordance with Afghan culture and Islamic law.”