Remove Books Contradicting Hanafi Jurisprudence From Educational Institutes, Says Taliban

Habibullah Agha, the Taliban’s Minister of Education, has instructed the heads of education departments in Kabul and other provinces to supervise and inspect the libraries of all educational institutions.

The Taliban official emphasised that any books that contradict Hanafi jurisprudence should be removed.

In a statement released on Monday, September 9, the Taliban's Ministry of Education announced that Habibullah Agha conveyed this directive through a video conference with the heads of provincial education departments.

The statement noted, "Books that are in contradiction with the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama’ah and Hanafi jurisprudence must be collected and their reports sent to ministry’s headquarters."

It also mentioned that the supervision of libraries in various educational institutions across different provinces will commence soon.

While the Taliban have repeatedly claimed to respect all religious sects in Afghanistan, critics argue that the group's ideology is hostile towards those who do not align with their strict interpretation of Islam.

Previously, religious scholars and some followers of the Shia sect of Islam accused the Taliban of violating the rights of Shia Muslims.

In August last year, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development stated that the Taliban had restricted the religious freedom and beliefs of Shia Muslims.

Key demands from the Shia Ulema Council of Afghanistan to the Taliban include the recognition of the Jafari school of thought, the teaching of Jafari jurisprudence in universities and schools for Shia students, and meaningful participation of Shia Muslims in governmental positions.

Mohammad Akbari, deputy head of the Shia Ulema Council of Afghanistan, said in March last year that the demands of the Shia community had been communicated both in writing and verbally to the Taliban leadership, but they remain unaddressed.