Taliban Urges Kabul University Students to Stay Out of Politics

DID Press: Neda Mohammad Nadeem, the Taliban’s acting minister of higher education, has told newly admitted students at Kabul University to refrain from political activity and focus entirely on their studies and academic programmes.

Speaking at a welcoming ceremony marking the start of the new academic year, Nadeem said: “Focus on your education and avoid political activities.” The remarks were reported by Atlas Press and follow similar comments he made earlier this month during a meeting with students and faculty at Panjshir University, where he also urged students to stay away from political and partisan activities.

Osama Aziz, president of Kabul University, also called on students to comply with Taliban policies, saying they should apply the “principles of higher education and, in general, the principles of the system” to themselves.

The remarks come amid broader changes to Afghanistan’s higher-education system under Taliban rule. UN reporting has documented revisions to university curricula, including the removal of subjects related to democracy, human rights and women’s studies, while other subjects have been required to undergo ideological revisions.

In late August, Taliban officials also confirmed restrictions on the teaching of law, political science and international relations at private universities. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the measure applied to private institutions considered weak in those fields, while saying the programmes remained active at public universities.

The latest comments also came one day after the Taliban Ministry of Higher Education revoked the operating licence of Khatam al-Nabieen University in Kabul and ordered its closure, with the ministry saying the institution had failed to comply with its policies. Students were reportedly told they could continue their studies at other private universities.