By: Hafez
Translated by: Mohammad Sakhi Rezaie
After 3 years under the rule of Taliban, only in two weeks, they closed more than 50 education classes in Hazarajat, Afghanistan.
According to the Silk Way Weekly, from January 11 to January 25, 2025, in the three Hazarajat provinces of Daikundi, Ghor and Bamyan, Taliban closed 4 education centers with 52 English language and computer program classes.
In Sang Takht Wa Bandar District
Taliban closed Ofuqe Jadid Education Center in the capital center of Sang Takht wa Badar district in their first ambush in the last two weeks.
At least two sources told the Silk Way weekly that on January 11, 2025 Taliban intelligence attacked Ofuqe Jadid Education Center in Sang Takht wa Bandar district, and after closing the center, they detained three instructors of this center, namely Mahdi, Asad and Jamaluddin.
According to the sources, the Taliban accused Ofuqe Jadid Education Center of “promoting Christian culture and propagating the Christian religion” and they added that they are closing it and arresting its teachers for this crime.
While taking the instructors with themselves, the elders of the area mediated Taliban to release the instructors, but Taliban did not pay attention and took the instructors with themselves.
Resources say these instructors were in detention center for 4 days, and then they were released on bail with a guarantee that they would not teach again.
Ofuqe Jadid Center is one of the educational branches of Ofuqe Jadid Organization which started its activities after GRS educational Center stopped its educational activities there. Ofuqe Jadid has two branches, female and male, and it has totally more than 30 students.
In Khedir District
One day after closing Ofuqe Jadid Education Center in Sang Takht district, Taliban intelligence closed another branch of Ofuqe Jadid Education Center in in Khedir district, Daykondi.
Local sources told the Silk Way weekly that on 13 January, 2025, Taliban intelligence attacked on Ofuqe Jadid Education Center. After closing the center, Taliban detained the manager and two teachers of the education center.
Sayed Habib, Manager of the education center, Abdul Razaq and Asif, were the two teachers of the education center detained by Taliban.
According to the sources, Taliban intelligence in Khedir district has charged the center with promoting Christian culture and training the language of the unbelievers.
At the same time, Taliban had arrested female teachers of this education center, but they were released by the mediation of the local elders.
An informed source from the capital city of Daykondi told the Silk Way weekly that the teachers and manager of this education center are in detention yet. Local influentials have met Mulla Najibulla several times asking to release the teachers and manger of the training center but he has not paid heed attention to their request.
This education center is located in Gorka area of Khedir district and it has English language and computer science departments for male and female students.
Sources saidTaliban not only arrested the manager and teachers of this education center, but they also have looted computers and some other equipment of the center.
In Lal wa Sarjangal District
Following closure of two educational centers in two districts of Daykondi, Taliban also closed Ofuqe Jadid Education Center in Lal wa Sarjangal district, Ghor province.
Local sources told the Silk Way weekly that Taliban closed Ofuqe Nawin Education Center branch in Lal wa Sarjangal charging it with “educating girls above sixth grade”. However, other sources told the Silk Way weekly this week that Taliban has closed the center charging it with “promoting Christian culture.”
According to sources Taliban has attacked on this education center and has arrested the manager and 4 teachers of the center. They include 1 manager of the center, one female teacher and three male teachers. These sources added that Shogofa, the female teacher, has been released by Taliban, but the other four people have been transferred from the district office to the provincial office of Taliban in Daykondi. According to resources, there is no information about the whereabout of these people yet.
In Bamyan
In line with closure of education centers in provinces mostly populated with Hazara people, on 23 Jan, 2025, Taliban closed education classes of Ofuqe Jadid Education Organization in Bamyan.
Ofuqe Jadid Education Organization has education classes in schools in center of Bamyan and Zargaran viallge. According to the local sources, this organization has 46 education classes in Bamyan, 41 English language training classes and 5 computer training classes.
Local sources told the Silk Way weekly that Taliban intelligence has closed all classes of Ofuqe Jadid Education Center in Bamyan charging them with “promoting Christian culture” and the group has distributed the office properties and computers of these education centers among its members.
A local source, who is a teacher, told the Silk Way weekly that Taliban has charged these education centers with false accusations and nothing as promotion of Christian Culture was conducted by them. “Only English language was taught in these classes. Promotion of Christian culture is just a false accusation made by Taliban against these education centers. There were no such things at all, and in Bamiyan these things are not attractive for people to put themselves in danger and advertise it. But in addition to English language training classes, these education centers held classes for girls above sixth grade.” He added.
The Last Pretexts of Taliban; Closing Education Centers with Charging them with Promotion of Christian Culture
After retaking power, education ban was one of the first policies of Taliban. They started closing education centers either by force or false accusations against them. With continuation of this process, nearly all education centers have been closed in West Kabul, or they have been emptied one by one.
Officials of the Ministry for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice always found a pretext to close the education centers. They first separated the classes in Dasht Barchi education centers. Girls and boys studied in separate classes. But when they noticed, there are not enough teachers, they separate classes by a curtain. The girls and boys who were familiar with each other or loved each other, or those students who were sister and brother, could not see each other due to a curtain separating their class.
When Taliban could find no sharia law excuse, they closed education centers under security pretext. In the past three years, especially in the previous spring, the Taliban had repeatedly issued security warnings to the centers and schools of Dasht Barchi. Taliban had told managers of these education centers that their centers are under threat and they shall be very cautious.
In this way, they wanted to create chaos, fear, and apathy among the people, parents, and students, and cut off those interested from school.
But when Taliban noticed such tactics were not effective, the group started charging these education centers with false accusations. After retaking power in August 2021, Taliban have closed many foreign aid organizations in Afghanistan Central Highland or Hazarajat, including education centers, charging them with promoting Christian culture.
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