In a move that mocks education itself, the Taliban have scrubbed Afghan universities of books written by women, silenced subjects on human rights, and banned fiber-optic internet in several provinces—tightening their grip on thought, freedom, and the future of a generation.
The Taliban government has launched another sweeping attack on academic freedom by ordering the removal of books written by women from Afghan universities, while also banning the teaching of human rights, sexual violence, and 16 other subjects deemed “anti-Sharia” or contrary to Taliban policies.
A list of 680 titles targeted for removal includes at least 140 works authored by women, ranging from academic studies to technical manuals such as Safety in the Chemical Laboratory. Six of the 18 prohibited subjects specifically focus on women, including gender and development, women’s sociology, and the role of women in communication.
The order is part of a relentless pattern of restrictions imposed since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Education for girls beyond sixth grade has already been banned, and midwifery courses—crucial for women’s health—were quietly shut down in late 2024. Now even the limited space women had in higher education is being deliberately erased.
Adding to the restrictions, officials confirmed that fiber-optic internet has been banned in at least 10 provinces on the orders of the Taliban’s supreme leader, citing the need to curb “immorality.”
A member of the Taliban’s book review board admitted to BBC Afghanistan that “all books written by women are not allowed to be taught.” Meanwhile, Ziur Rahman Aryubi, deputy director of academics at the Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education, said the decisions were made by a panel of “religious scholars and experts.”
The ban also targets Iranian influence, as 310 of the blacklisted titles are by Iranian authors or publishers. A professor warned that eliminating Iranian works severs a vital link between Afghan universities and the global academic community, creating what he called a “significant vacuum” in higher education.
The Taliban insist they respect women’s rights “within Afghan culture and Islamic law,” yet every new decree chips away at women’s visibility, their voices, and their right to participate in shaping the nation’s future.
For many Afghans, the removal of women’s books and the silencing of human rights education is not just censorship—it is the deliberate construction of ignorance as state policy.
