Rights Group Warns of ‘Cultural Genocide’ Under Taliban Rule in Afghanistan
A human rights organization has warned that sweeping restrictions on Afghanistan’s education system are silencing intellectual voices, undermining collective awareness, and putting the future of new generations at serious risk.
On Sunday, December 24, the Alliance of Human Rights Activists stated on its X (formerly Twitter) account that the current situation in Afghanistan amounts to a form of “cultural genocide”—a process that includes the closure of educational pathways, suppression of students, and erasure of the society’s cultural memory.
According to the group, the Taliban administration, through limiting access to education, is not only violating citizens’ basic rights but also targeting the intellectual and cultural foundations of Afghan society, thereby obstructing the healthy development of the younger generation. This policy stands in stark contrast to principles of human dignity and equal access to education.
The Alliance emphasized that the future of Afghanistan’s youth depends on knowledge, freedom, and the preservation of human dignity. They warned that the systematic deprivation of education will have long-term consequences that cannot be easily remedied.
Since the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan, they have imposed widespread restrictions on the country’s education system. These include barring girls above sixth grade and female university students from receiving an education, dismissing many female professors, altering academic programs, and banning the publication and sale of certain books. These measures have been met with widespread domestic and international condemnation.
