The Taliban’s education minister said US drones patrol Afghan skies nightly, proof that the country remains under foreign occupation, and warned that Afghanistan’s lack of modern sciences has left it unable to defend its airspace.
Speaking Sunday at the inauguration of a school in Paktia province, Habibullah Agha said reliance on “Kalashnikovs and swords” is inadequate in the modern era. “If we are not familiar with modern sciences, we cannot build drones, airplanes or bombs,” he said.
Agha stressed that only through learning modern sciences could Afghans counter US drones and secure the country’s sovereignty.
Although he did not directly reference Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada or his restrictive decrees, the remarks were seen as a veiled criticism of the group’s leadership, which has imposed sweeping limits on education, particularly for girls.
Girls have been barred from schools and universities for nearly four years, and the Taliban have reshaped the curriculum by expanding religious subjects and opening hundreds of religious schools.
Two years ago, the Education Ministry said modern sciences would be included in the curriculum in a way consistent with “national and Islamic culture.” It also confirmed that subjects deemed contrary to “Sharia and culture” had been removed.
