8am: Anti-Persian Sentiment in Afghan Universities has a long history. For many years, animosity towards Persians has been preserved under the guise of “national terminology” in various forms. Even under the pretext of preserving these terms, Persian books have been thrown into the seas by the former government’s Ministry of Information and Culture. However, the Taliban claim to enforce “pure Islamic Sharia” and assert that there is no difference between languages and ethnicities in their regime, while officially issuing orders banning the use of Persian words for their native speakers. Amidst this, the Taliban leadership at Takhar University has been repeatedly accused of anti-Persian policies and the dismissal of non-Pashtun staff in recent months. Documents obtained from Takhar University, as reported by the Hasht-e Subh Daily, indicate that the Taliban have declared terms like “Danishjo (Student)” and “Danishgah (university)” invalid. Additionally, approximately 17 staff members have been fired from the university, and replaced by individuals affiliated with the Taliban. Click here to read more (external link).