Four Taliban ministries have convened a meeting to review books deemed ideologically “deviant,” in a move reflecting the group’s ongoing crackdown on literature it considers contrary to its interpretation of Islam.
State-run National Television, under Taliban control, reported Sunday that the meeting was held on the order of Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and chaired by Noor Mohammad Saqib, the Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs.
Officials from the Ministries of Higher Education, Education, Information and Culture, and Hajj and Religious Affairs attended the meeting. According to the report, the ministries have been instructed to assess books collected from libraries, schools, and public institutions and to launch public awareness campaigns warning against such materials.
Saqib said the review process will be led by religious scholars and conducted “in accordance with Sharia principles.” A joint committee is expected to develop official guidelines to facilitate the effort.
Since retaking power in August 2021, the Taliban have intensified censorship efforts, banning hundreds of titles they view as incompatible with their ideology. The Ministry of Information and Culture has previously removed books from schools, bookstores, and libraries that it labelled as promoting un-Islamic or anti-Taliban ideas.
The Taliban define “deviant” books as those that oppose or fail to support their views. A special book review commission established by the group has halted the publication and distribution of hundreds of titles, and banned the sale or reprinting of at least 100 books.
