‘Madrassah-educated Taliban govt holds more respect than PhDs and intellectuals’

Afghan interim Education Minister Molavi Munir dismisses importance of doctorates and master’s degrees

The education minister for the newly announced interim government of Afghanistan Sheikh Molavi Noorullah Munir dismissed the importance of higher education by saying that the members of the Taliban government had more respect than any PhD or Master’s degree holder.

In a video doing the rounds on social media, the Afghan interim education minister could be seen giving a briefing to media. Munir disregarded the importance of higher education degrees and stated that the members of the government announced by the Taliban were educated from Madrassahs (seminaries) and they had more respect in the world than any Master’s degree holder or ‘intellectual’.

He further said that those people who had PhD and Master’s degrees had no respect as compared to the Taliban.

The statement comes days after the Taliban announced their interim setup for Afghanistan following their takeover of Kabul last month. The interim government consists of Mullah Muhammad Hasan Akhund  and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar as prime minister (PM) and deputy PM respectively. Akhund was previously the foreign and deputy minister when the Afghan Taliban ruled from 1996-2001. He also happens to be on a United Nations sanctions list.

Moreover, the government has Sirajuddin Haqqani, Mullah Yaqoob and Molavi Amir Khan Mutaqi with the portfolios of interior, defence, and foreign affairs respectively. The government is yet to be recognized by any member of the international community.