The Afghanistan Human Rights Center has reported an unprecedented surge in the construction of jihadi madrassas under Taliban rule. The 30-page report highlights how these institutions have become a tool for power consolidation among Taliban leaders and warns of their potentially harmful impact on the mindset and future of the country’s younger generation.
According to the report, the Taliban’s Ministry of Education has allocated a significant portion of its budget to developing religious-jihadi madrassas. In 2023 alone, the Taliban established more than 21,000 such schools nationwide, compared with only 106 regular schools constructed during the same period, the report says.
Each province now hosts at least one large-scale jihadi madrassa, accommodating up to 2,000 students and equipped with comprehensive facilities.
The report says these madrassas are predominantly staffed by male teachers and focus on subjects such as “ideological warfare,” “Islamic jurisprudence,” “interpretation of Islamic texts,” and “Emirate studies.” Students are also trained in Sahih al-Bukhari, Quranic studies, and other religious texts. The report claims students are verbally encouraged to embrace jihad and are instilled with a militant mindset.
The core curriculum includes topics such as Islamic etiquette, faith, Arabic grammar, and traditional Islamic legal and theological texts, including Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Zad al-Talibeen, and Nur al-Iyda, the report says.
The report indicates that much of the funding for these schools comes from wealthy Arab nations and other international backers of the Taliban. This financial support has enabled the Taliban to expand their influence across Afghanistan by reinforcing control over key regions.
While Taliban leaders have barred girls above sixth grade from attending schools and universities, no age restrictions are enforced for girls attending jihadi schools. The report argues that the exclusion of girls from secular education has led to an increase in forced marriages, depression, social isolation, and even suicide among young women.
Sohaila, a young student, lamented the restrictions, saying, “Schools are closed to us. Education is our right, but the Taliban have taken it away.”
As of August 2023, an estimated 340,000 students, including over 95,000 girls, have been enrolled in jihadi schools across the country. Experts warn that the rapid expansion of these schools poses significant risks for Afghanistan’s future, including the potential radicalization of a generation and the further erosion of societal stability.
The report has drawn attention to the Taliban’s priorities, which critics say focus on ideological indoctrination at the expense of rebuilding a balanced and inclusive education system. International organizations have called for renewed efforts to address the growing disparities in Afghanistan’s education sector and to protect the rights of Afghan children, especially girls.
