The testimony of Amina*
As in other Afghan provinces, girls in Nangarhar, eastern Afghanistan, have been excluded from school. In the three and a half years of Taliban rule, there has been a proliferation of private madrassas for girls, springing up in virtually every home and street in the province.
Some of these madrassas, while private, effectively function as real schools, offering an educational path up to the twelfth grade. Students who graduate receive a certificate equivalent to that of formal schools, which leads many girls deprived of education to turn to these institutions to fill the educational void. Attendance is often voluntary, but family pressure also plays a significant role.
Among the most well-known madrassas offering education up to the twelfth grade are Al-Hijab, Al-Falah, Al-Haya, and Al-Nasr. However, a crucial question arises: what curriculum is taught in these madrassas?
The curriculum of these madrassas primarily focuses on religious subjects. According to students who agreed to share their testimonies, sciences were eliminated in the first year of Taliban rule, leaving room only for Islamic studies. In the current academic year, sciences have been reintroduced, but with significant modifications.
Kalsoom, a student at the Al-Hijab madrasa, explains that subjects like chemistry, physics, biology, geography, geology, and history have been condensed into two small volumes titled “Sciences” and “Social Studies,” sold exclusively to madrasa students.
All other subjects, however, revolve around Arabic and religious studies, including Tafsir (Qur’anic interpretation), Tafsir al-Jalalayn (a classic Sunni interpretation of the Qur’an), Meshkat al-Quran, Usul ash-Shashi (principles of Islamic jurisprudence according to the Hanafi school), Sarf (Arabic grammar), Shurut al-Salah (conditions of prayer), Zad al-Talibin (Hadith), and Usul al-Fiqh (principles of Islamic jurisprudence). Girls are required to study these subjects to obtain their twelfth-grade diploma.
Despite the diploma, these madrassas do not offer a path to higher education. With Afghan universities and higher education institutions currently closed to girls, graduating students find themselves unable to pursue university studies in their own country.
Alongside the increase in girls’ madrassas, there is growing concern that secular girls’ schools and universities may permanently lose ground. This scenario would increase the risk of Afghanistan becoming a hotbed of religious extremism, with serious implications for radicalization within the country and across the entire region.
Husna Raufi, an activist for Afghan girls’ right to education, emphasizes that “the rise of religious madrassas in Afghanistan, particularly when they replace general schools, could have significant consequences for the future of the country, especially for girls,” as these madrassas, by focusing on religious education rather than a comprehensive curriculum, limit educational opportunities and, consequently, the ability to develop critical thinking.
“The existence of madrassas is necessary”, Raufi adds, “but replacing general education with them is an act of extremism. The excessive emphasis on these schools at the expense of a well-rounded and inclusive education could have long-term negative effects on the country’s development and stability.”
Raufi has also repeatedly spoken out against the Taliban’s policies, publicly urging authorities to reopen schools and universities to girls and women. Her commitment highlights the challenges Afghan women face and their resilience in seeking opportunities for themselves and others.
Since the Taliban took power in August 2021, they have established 21,000 jihadist and religious madrassas for boys and girls, while the number of general schools remains low. Some Afghan residents, critical of this initiative, fear that such institutions are paving the way for further extremism and potential conflicts within the country itself.
*Amina is a pseudonym to protect the identity of the witness.
