Exiled Teachers; Taliban Begins Ideological Purge of Afghanistan’s Schools
Since the Taliban’s return to power, the phenomenon of “exiled teachers” has spread across Afghanistan, systematically pushing experienced educators out of the national education system. Dozens of teachers with years of classroom experience have been removed from their posts by Taliban-appointed officials in the Ministry of Education and exiled to remote village schools. Their “offenses” range from lacking loyalty to the Taliban to resisting the group’s ideological influence over school curricula. This forced relocation is seen as a tactic to…
A New Tyrant in the Pamirs: Juma Khan Fateh’s Rule of Fear Over Ismailis
Nearly 150 years after the last local monarchy of Darwaz in the vast mountainous region of Badakhshan, Afghanistan, Mullah Juma Khan Fateh, a 40-year-old Taliban warlord, has emerged as the "Sultan of Darwaz"—a title that speaks to his brutal rule over the region’s religious minorities. Darwaz is located along the Amu River, bordered by Tajikistan to the north and Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province to the south. Nestled in the Pamir Mountains, it was once a small independent kingdom in historical Khorasan until Emir Abdur Rahman Khan …
Afghan Women’s Silent Struggle: Sleeping Pills as Their Only Escape
As the Taliban’s severe restrictions on women’s lives in Afghanistan continue, the prevalence of mental health disorders is increasing, leading to a growing reliance on sleeping pills. Sources in several cities, particularly Herat, Kabul, and Mazar-i-Sharif, told Independent Persian that many women and girls, under intense psychological and social pressure, have turned to sleeping pills as their only escape for a few moments of peace. Zohra Peyman, a second-year psychology student at Herat University, was among the thousands of female students…
The Mastermind Behind ISIS-K’s Deadliest Attacks: Who is Mohammad Sharifullah?
Mohammad Sharifullah, the man whom officials in the Trump administration described as a “monster” and who was arrested in Pakistan following Trump’s direct order to apprehend those responsible for the killing of 13 U.S. soldiers, is now facing American justice. Security sources from the former Afghan government told Independent Persian that Sharifullah has a long track record of carrying out ISIS-K’s deadliest attacks and is one of the group’s most bloodthirsty commanders. In a statement, the U.S. Department of Justice accused Mohammad Sharifu…
Terror's Turning Point: When the Jihadist Breeding Ground Faces Its Own War
The Haqqani Madrasa in Akora Khattak, Pakistan, known as the "University of Jihad in South Asia" and the ideological and military stronghold of the Taliban that legitimized suicide attacks in Afghanistan, has now itself become the target of an attack. On Friday, March 1, a deadly explosion struck the mosque of the Haqqani Madrasa in Akora Khattak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The target was Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq, leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and head of one of Pakistan’s largest religious seminaries. The 57-year-old cleric was kill…
NRF Leader in Exclusive Interview: Afghanistan Will Not Remain in Taliban’s Grip
In an exclusive interview with Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), I asked him about the outcomes of three and a half years of armed and political struggle against the Taliban regime, the turning points of this resistance, and the future of guerrilla warfare against the Taliban. This interview was published in Independent Persian, and here I am sharing its English version. Ahmad Msoud and Mukhtar Wafayee Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), stated in an e…
Aegean Sea Tragedy: Afghan Refugees Die in Alleged Greek Coast Guard Collision
The family of four Afghan refugees who died in Greek waters claims that the incident was deliberate and, more than a month later, they have yet to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones. On December 20, 2024, a family of four Afghan migrants lost their lives in Greek waters after their boat collided with a Greek Coast Guard ship. The family says they have still not been able to recover the bodies from the Greek authorities. On December 20, the Greek Coast Guard issued a statement saying that a boat carrying migrants sank in the Aegean Sea ne…
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