Nasir Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan’s Chargé d’Affaires to the United Nations, has accused the Taliban of undermining the modern education system and paving the way for the spread of extremism through the expansion of so-called “jihadi madrasas.”
Speaking at a meeting of the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly on cultural rights, Faiq said that no group has the right to erase Afghanistan’s cultural diversity or impose a single worldview on society.
Referring to Taliban restrictions on music, art, traditional celebrations such as Nowruz and Yalda, and other cultural activities, Faiq said these measures had led to cultural repression and damaged the shared heritage of Afghans. He added that the confiscation and destruction of musical instruments, as well as threats against artists, had left many cultural activists facing restrictions and economic hardship.
Faiq also described the ban on girls’ education beyond the sixth grade and the exclusion of women from university education as violations of cultural rights. He warned that restrictions on linguistic diversity and the renaming of public places could further weaken Afghanistan’s shared identity and deepen social divisions.
The head of Afghanistan’s UN mission urged the international community not to normalize cultural restrictions in its engagement with the Taliban. He called for efforts to lift these bans, support independent artists and educators, and end the exclusion of women from education.
Faiq has previously called for an independent investigation into human rights violations in Afghanistan and accused the Taliban of detaining and torturing human rights defenders, particularly women.
Writer:Roya Stanikzai
