Appointment of a “Taliban Mine Maker” as Dean of Herat University’s Engineering Faculty; New Wave of Criticism of Illiteracy
Local sources in Herat say that Mullah Bahadur Khalil, a well-known Taliban member and someone with a history of working in the manufacture of explosive mines, has been appointed as the dean of Herat University’s Engineering Faculty; a move that has been met with widespread reactions and criticism of the way appointments are made within the Taliban structure.
Critics say that entrusting the responsibility of a scientific and technical institution to someone without an academic background and academic expertise is a clear example of “Talibanocracy” and illiteracy in Taliban-controlled institutions.
Mujibur Rahman Rahimi, head of the Center for Education and Development, has said in response to this appointment that in the Taliban structure, the criterion for promoting individuals is not knowledge and expertise, but “a history of war, explosions, mine laying, and acts of violence.” He added that the Taliban appoints its own associates to high government positions, regardless of the specialized needs of the departments and public protests.
According to Rahimi, many Taliban members were promised positions and privileges during the war, and now, without considering their merit and ability, they are being appointed to important civilian and academic institutions.
He also emphasized that the armed jihadi groups, from the Mujahideen era to the Taliban, did not have the necessary experience and capacity to build a state and run specialized institutions, and this has weakened the country's administrative and educational structures.
This is while in recent months, the appointment of Taliban associates to academic and specialized positions has aroused widespread concern among professors, students, and civil activists.
Kabul Times News
Report; Samiullah Jahesh
Appointment of a “Taliban Mine Maker” as Dean of Herat University’s Engineering Faculty; New Wave of Criticism of Illiteracy
