Senior Taliban Official Highlights Role of Religious Schools in Preserving Islamic Governance
Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Taliban government’s Minister for Refugees and Repatriation, emphasized the role of religious schools in upholding the current system during a graduation ceremony at the Jihadi Madrasa in Kabul.
Speaking at the event, Abdul Kabir claimed that madrasas are not merely centers for religious education, but also serve as foundations of authority and tools for maintaining what he described as the “Islamic system” — a view that has been widely promoted by the Taliban administration in recent years.
Referring to decades of conflict in Afghanistan, he attributed the defeat of the former Soviet Union, and later the United States and NATO, to the sacrifices made by religious schools, universities, and the Afghan people. He framed the current regime as a direct outcome of those sacrifices.
He described the safeguarding of the current system as a duty for religious scholars and all Muslims. He urged religious figures and the public to share their views and criticisms with officials, while stressing that those who, in his words, seek to undermine the system and disrupt security should not be allowed to operate.
These remarks come amid growing criticism of the Taliban administration, both domestically and from international organizations, over its sweeping restrictions on modern education, the exclusion of women from the education system, and suppression of dissenting voices — raising significant questions about the sincerity of its call for dialogue and public participation.
