Part of US Embassy in Kabul Converted into Religious School by Taliban
New images reveal that the Taliban administration has transformed a section of the United States Embassy building in Kabul into a religious school, where children and teenagers are being taught religious education. This repurposing has occurred despite the official suspension of the US embassy’s activities since the collapse of Afghanistan’s previous government.
The US embassy was closed following the end of the US military mission and the fall of the Afghan Republic in 2021, after which American diplomats left Kabul. After the Taliban regained control of the capital, the group painted the name “Tayba” on the embassy walls, a move that sparked immediate reactions and criticism.
During over four years of renewed Taliban rule, the group has focused extensively on expanding religious schools and mosques in Afghan cities and districts. Critics argue that these policies have been pursued alongside the neglect of non-religious and modern education, which is considered vital for Afghanistan’s social, economic, and scientific development.
Based on past experience, during the conflict with the previous Afghan government and its Western allies, the Taliban recruited part of their fighting forces from students of religious schools. Observers believe that the current expansion of such centers may also aim to ideologically educate the younger generation and strengthen the Taliban’s support base, raising concerns about the future of education and intellectual diversity in Afghanistan.
