KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban have begun construction of a new madrasa, or Islamic seminary, in Sar-e Pul province, underscoring their focus on religious education since returning to power in August 2021.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Education announced on Saturday that the new madrasa, located in the village of Bidastan in Kohistan district, will cost one million Afghanis to build.
According to data compiled by Amu TV, this project brings the number of madrasas constructed by the Taliban in the past month to seven. Data from the Taliban-run Ministry of Education reveals that between October 20 and November 20, six other madrasas were built or renovated in provinces including Kapisa, Farah, Badakhshan, Baghlan, Khost, and Ghazni, at a total cost of 24 million Afghani.
The newly established madrasas includeincludee:
- Jamia Islamia Al-Mansuriya in Mahmood Raqi, Kapisa
- Bibi Aisha Siddiqa in Anar Dara, Farah
- Noman bin Thabit in Pul-e-Khumri, Baghlan
- Noorul Quran in Khost
- Umar Farooq in Khwaja Omari, Ghazni
- Darul Uloom Imam Abu Hanifa in Yaftal Payan, Badakhshan
Citizens Frustrated by Education Priorities
While the Ministry of Education has lauded these developments, some Afghans have voiced concerns about the Taliban’s overwhelming focus on religious schooling at the expense of modern education.
The government should prioritize building schools and universities,” said a resident of Kabul, who asked not to be named. “Focusing only on madrasas will leave our children unprepared for the future.”
A United Nations quarterly report released in September highlighted the role of Taliban-run madrasas in their governance strategy. Many of these “jihadi madrasas,” the report noted, accommodate up to 1,000 students and often serve as platforms for speeches by senior Taliban officials.
The Taliban view these institutions as elite centers of Islamic learning, integral to their vision of Afghanistan’s educational landscape. However, critics warn that the exclusive focus on religious schooling risks marginalizing broader educational development and limiting opportunities for Afghanistan’s youth in an increasingly interconnected world.
