11 Herat Medical Faculty Professors Face Threats After Protesting Taliban Conduct
Sources told Amu that 11 professors at the Faculty of Medicine of Herat University, after submitting a collective resignation in protest at the conduct of the Taliban administration’s morality police, are now facing rejection of their resignations and threats of imprisonment.
According to the sources, Abdul Sattar Al-Mohsen, the president of Herat University, summoned the professors to his office this morning and told them that their resignations had not been accepted. The sources added that he accused them of an “extra-legal act” and warned them about publicly announcing their resignations.
The tension escalated after Taliban morality police summoned the 11 professors to the administration’s centre last Thursday. According to the sources, after arriving there, the professors were held in containers for about four hours and were insulted and humiliated during their detention.
Sources say the short length of some of the professors’ beards was one of the reasons for the treatment. After their release, the professors announced their collective resignation in protest against the behaviour and the morality police administration’s interference in university affairs.
According to the sources, with the mediation of the Taliban-appointed governor in Herat, the matter was followed up and the professors returned to their duties. However, the president of Herat University summoned the professors again this morning, despite their return to work.
Herat University is one of the most important higher education institutions in western Afghanistan, and its Faculty of Medicine is among the university’s key departments. The latest incident has highlighted concerns about Taliban interference in university environments and pressure on professors.
