Taliban Removes Uzbek Language from Entrance Sign of Sheberghan City

Local sources in Jowzjan province confirm that the Taliban administration has removed the Uzbek language from the entrance sign of Sheberghan city, the provincial capital. This move has sparked reactions among the residents of the province.

According to these sources, local Taliban officials in Jowzjan are broadly working to remove the Uzbek language from various areas throughout the province. Jowzjan, located in northern Afghanistan, is home to a significant population of Uzbek-ethnic citizens, with Uzbek being commonly spoken alongside Persian in the region.

Critics of this action say that removing commonly used local languages from official symbols contradicts Afghanistan’s cultural and linguistic diversity, a country where multiple ethnic groups and languages coexist. They believe such an approach could deepen social divides and undermine the cultural rights of citizens.

The Taliban administration has yet to officially comment on the reason behind the removal of the Uzbek language from Sheberghan’s entrance sign. Previous reports have also indicated restrictions on the use of certain languages within Taliban-controlled institutions.