The Taliban have sentenced Abdul Aleem Khamosh, the principal of Janikhel High School in Paktika Province’s Janikhel District, to death on charges of “blasphemy and insulting the sacred.” Colleagues and local sources believe that Khamosh’s sentence was driven by a personal rivalry rather than any legitimate legal concern. The Taliban court, without a due process, used Khamosh’s support for modern education as evidence of his supposed disrespect toward religion.
Since the mid-1990s, the rise of the Taliban, many members of the Taliban have consistently regarded schools and universities as sources of sin, dismissing modern curricula as incompatible with their interpretation of Islam. Teachers who oppose this viewpoint face the risk of losing their jobs or, in more severe instances, prosecution under vaguely defined “insult” and “blasphemy” laws. The ambiguity of these laws permits local Taliban leaders to interpret dissent as sacrilege at their discretion.
This environment of fear has sent a strong message to educators and the community: don't argue about issues that contradict their religion version or their interpretation of it, as it blocks nearly all topics. Many are now reluctant to express opinions that differ from the Taliban’s rigid ideology—whether advocating for girls’ education, supporting secular subjects, or simply questioning the religious instruction. In this climate, any criticism of the regime’s educational policies could lead to harsh consequences, similar to those faced by Khamosh.