Tehran- IRAF- based on a document issued by the Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education and attributed to Kabul University of Education, the text of this announcement has been prepared entirely in Pashto and English, with no trace of the Persian language.
This action comes despite the fact that Persian is considered one of Afghanistan’s official and historical languages and has long been the dominant language of education, research, and academic correspondence in the country.
The Taliban have previously removed Persian from signs and documents of government institutions on multiple occasions. Examples include the removal of Persian from the signage of the Directorate for Counter Narcotics in Takhar Province and the Abu Ali Sina Balkhi Specialized Clinic.
Reports indicate that this trend is also expanding across a number of other institutions and departments under Taliban control.
Critics argue that the removal of the Persian language is part of the Taliban’s broader effort to restrict linguistic and cultural diversity in Afghanistan—a policy that could have serious negative consequences for social cohesion, linguistic justice, and the country’s national identity.
