Taliban Removes Persian Language Signs from Government Institutions in Ghor, Sparking Controversy
Local sources in Ghor province confirm that the Taliban administration has removed Persian language from the signboard of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Gori Airport; a move that has triggered reactions in a predominantly Persian-speaking province.
According to the sources, the new airport signboard was installed without any Persian words or script. This comes while the majority of Ghor residents speak Persian, and the language holds a broad position in daily and administrative interactions in the province.
This incident is part of a series of actions where Persian language signs have been removed from several government institutions. Previously, there were reports of Persian being removed from the signboards of the Anti-Narcotics Directorate in Takhar, the Abu Ali Sina Specialized Hospital in Balkh, and also the Ministry of Higher Education.
In another case, the Taliban administration replaced the word “University” with “Pohantoon” on the entrance sign of the Daikundi State University. These changes come at a time when, before the Taliban’s return to power, the names of major government, health, and educational institutions were typically written in the country’s two official languages, Persian and Pashto, and sometimes in English.
Critics view this trend as an attempt to gradually eliminate one of the country’s official languages and say it contradicts the cultural and linguistic realities of Afghanistan. They believe that ignoring the language of a large portion of citizens could deepen social divides and increase feelings of exclusion.
However, Taliban officials have not yet provided an official explanation regarding the removal of Persian from these signs. The debate over the status of languages and how they are reflected in the country’s administrative structure remains a sensitive and closely watched issue by the public.
