Taliban Join Armed Vehicles In Front Of Campus, Professor Of Afghanistan: All My Students Will Graduate

Illustration of Afghan students. (Wikimedia Commons/USAID)

JAKARTA - The Taliban's decision to ban all women from universities in Afghanistan indefinitely may surprise some in the higher education sector, but others have been preparing for that moment for weeks.

In a statement sent to all state and private universities, Acting Taliban Higher Education Minister Maulvi Nida Mohammad Nadimsaid instructed the institution to carry out the order, saying the ban would continue until "further notification".

Armed vehicles are reportedly stationed outside many universities in Kabul and other major cities in Afghanistan, to impose the ban, reported The National News December 21.

While at other provincial universities, women were repatriated while crying by the Taliban and university officials.

"In our hearts, we knew this would happen, but it was very embarrassing and painful the way they forbade us from our campus," a student told The National holding back tears.

The suspension of women from university education announced today by TB acting Min of Higher Educ marks a new low further violating the right to equal education & deepens the erasure of women from #Afghan society. I call on the TB to reverse it immediately#LetAfghangirlslearn

— UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett (@SR_Afghanistan) December 20, 2022

Sporadic protests are also reported to have occurred in several provinces. While many professors took to social media to announce their resignation as a protest, in the southeastern province of Nangarhar, a classroom full of male students at a university was reported out of the exam room in solidarity with their female classmates who were denied entry for the exam.

Meanwhile, a university professor has been working desperately to ensure his female students get their title before the ban is announced.

"Almost a month ago, I felt this when interacting with other people at the university. My students were mostly women, and we were in the final semester, so I encouraged them to collect their duties and final duties in case something like this happened," said the academic who asked only to be called Prof Ahmadi to protect his identity.

He then set aside all his work to assess the paper overnight and encouraged corrections to be made.

"I was worried they wouldn't graduate, so I pushed for my department and told all other departments to push for their duties, including their final duties."

Prof. Ahmadi also advised male students to allow their female classmates to present their paper in front of them, a signal that helps many students complete their duties.

"All my students will graduate despite the ban," he said, although their career prospects under the Taliban were severely restricted.

However, not all students can benefit from actions such as Prof Ahmadi.

"I can't believe this is happening. I'm in the last semester and we have a test scheduled for the coming weeks. Now I'm not sure anything in my future," said Maryam, a student who didn't want to give her full name.

It is known, there are concerns that the ban will soon spread to female professors.

"The Taliban is facing pressure from internal actors who oppose education, if they don't fight it, not only our daughters will remain out of the university, but also female lecturers will not be allowed in," worries Prof Ahmadi.

محصلین ذکور فاکولته طب ننگرهار پارچه های امتحانات شان را پاره نموده و صحنه امتحان ترک کردند.#LetAfghanGirlsLearn pic.twitter.com/XONJWB0Pzg

— Fatima Ayoubi 🇦🇫🕊 (@FatimaAyoubi005) December 21, 2022