An Associated Press report reveals that Afghan girls, once aspiring to become doctors, are now compelled to attend religious schools due to the closure of regular schools and universities under Taliban rule. A religious center in Kabul hosts over 400 students, 90% of whom are women and girls studying Islamic sciences.
While no recent official data exists on female enrollment in religious schools, Taliban officials claim a growing interest in such institutions. In September 2024, Karamatullah Akhundzada, deputy minister of education for the Taliban, stated that over one million students enrolled in religious schools in the past year, bringing the total to more than three million.
Naheeda, a young girl who dreams of becoming a doctor, works six hours a day at a graveyard, collecting water from a nearby shrine to sell to mourners. She told the Associated Press, “I’d rather go to school, but I can’t, so I go to a religious school. If I could attend school, I could study and become a doctor. But I can’t.”
Since regaining power, the Taliban have banned girls from education beyond the sixth grade and university, making Afghanistan the only country globally to impose such restrictions on women’s education.
Zahedalrahman Sahebi, head of the Tanim Nusrat Islamic Education Center in Kabul, told the Associated Press, “With schools closed to girls, women see this as an opportunity. They come here to continue learning and studying religious sciences.” The center’s 400 students, aged 3 to 60, are predominantly female (90%), studying the Quran, Islamic jurisprudence, hadiths, and Arabic.
Sahebi noted a significant increase in enrollment in religious schools since the school closures, as their doors remain open to girls. However, he emphasized that women should not be limited to religious studies alone, stating, “It’s crucial for a woman to learn both religious and modern sciences. Islam encourages learning modern sciences as they are essential, alongside religious knowledge. Both should be studied together.”
UNESCO has previously warned that continued restrictions could leave over four million girls out of education by 2030.
Mullah Mohammad Jan Mukhtar, a 35-year-old who runs a boys’ religious school in northern Kabul, said, “Learning the Quran is the foundation for all other sciences, be it medicine, engineering, or other fields. Mastering the Quran first enables better understanding of other disciplines.” His school, which started with 35 students five years ago, now educates 160 boys aged 5 to 21, half of whom are boarders. Alongside religious studies, limited subjects like English and mathematics are offered. Mukhtar also noted a nearby girls’ religious school with 90 students.
