Afghanistan International: In an open letter addressed to the special rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council, the activists said the Taliban administration has pursued policies that deliberately marginalise and suppress the use of Persian, one of Afghanistan’s two official languages. The letter raised concerns about what it described as linguistic and structural discrimination, accusing
8am: For more than four years, the Taliban have systematically erased Persian words and expressions from schools, universities, and even city streets. In recent days, images shared on social media have revealed a new phase of this effort. Taliban authorities have removed urban signboards in Kabul, rearranged text, replaced Persian with Pashto, and gone so
8am: Some journalists working in media outlets controlled by the Taliban have complained about discriminatory treatment toward the Persian language. They state that some media managers, driven by a desire to curry favor with the Taliban and linguistic biases, have used the group’s name to justify efforts to eliminate Persian words. These journalists highlight instances
8am: The Taliban, despite their claims of combating administrative corruption and ethnic discrimination, have engaged in widespread corruption within government institutions and have significantly fueled ethnic bias. Findings from a report by the Hasht-e Subh Daily regarding the Education Directorate of Baghlan Province reveal that the principal of a school in Central Baghlan has labeled
8am: Some Afghan citizens who have sought official document processing at the Taliban-run courts in Kabul and various provinces have expressed dissatisfaction with the judges’ biased behavior. They report that Taliban judges treat applicants differently when issuing marriage certificates, marriage documentation, single status certificates, and inheritance documents. These citizens claim that judges appointed by the
8am: Several Persian-speaking employees in government offices in the country have raised complaints about language discrimination by their superiors, many of whom are affiliated with the Taliban. They claim that their job security is jeopardized due to linguistic discrimination and that they could be dismissed at any time by the Taliban. These long-serving government employees
8am: The Taliban’s ethnocentrism is undeniable. This group heavily relies on ethnic factors in its appointments. Currently, the majority of government office employees belong to one ethnic group. Even when people visit government offices, they are forced to speak Pashto with the staff, or else their concerns may not be addressed. It may be unbelievable
Aamaj: This former member of Iran’s parliament wrote today on his “X” page that the Taliban “destroyed” Afghanistan. “Taliban treats girls worse than in the pre-Islamic period. They shut down universities and the Persian language, and now they are insulting Shiites like this. What weakness do we have?”, he added. According to him, what else
Aamaj: Mohammad Zahir Aghbar, the Afghanistan Ambassador to Tajikistan, has condemned the Taliban’s Deputy Minister of Information and Culture for his recent statement dismissing the importance of the Persian language. Aghbar called this statement a clear display of ignorance and narrow-mindedness. During a visit to Bamyan, Mohammad Younus Rashed, the Taliban’s Deputy Minister of Information
8am: Since the Taliban’s return, all official signs that had the Persian term for university written on them have been replaced with Pashtu terms. The presence of the Farsi in Taliban circles and media has decreased, and Taliban officials usually speak Pashto in public events. Administrative communication is usually conducted in Pashto. Tribal biases have