Politics is banned in all universities and institutes of higher studies. Yet political parties are very active with both students and teachers participating in protests and public meetings. An investigation.
The most politicised campuses are in Kabul and Nangarhar, where physical face-offs between rival political groups are not unheard of.
Politics is banned in all universities and institutes of higher studies. Yet political parties are very active with both students and teachers participating in protests and public meetings. An investigation.
The most politicised campuses are in Kabul and Nangarhar, where physical face-offs between rival political groups are not unheard of. A number of students who were interviewed said politics has been the reason for the shutting down of universities and delays in completing academic programmes.
All the lecturers Killid spoke to also confirmed political parties were well-established on campuses.
Officially however the Ministry of Higher Studies views universities as apolitical. Anyone found to be indulging in politics can be reported to the justice and judiciary system by the ministry.
University of Nangarhar
Established in 1964 during the reign of King Zahir Shah, the university’s website says there are more than 15,000 students and 460 lecturers. The university makes news in the media more often for political activism and not for its academic achievements.
The most influential political parties here are Hezb Islami, Hezb Tahrir and Jamiat Islami. A government delegation that visited the university last November found 200-odd students had links to groups like Taleban, ISIS and Hezb Islami. The media reported that some 27 Nangarhar University students were arrested for politics and carrying banners of the Taleban or ISIS. The authorities had hoped the police action would dampen politics on the campus but in interviews students reckon there has been no perceptible change.
Nazir Ahmad Arghandiwal, a student in the Faculty of Agriculture, says political parties have strong support among students. Their political activities have frequently caused disruptions in the academic calendar.
Another student in the university, Najibullah Wejdan, alleges that new appointments to faculties are influenced by the candidates’ politics.
Head of the university Babrak Miakhil insists the rules on political activism in institutions of higher learning that have been laid down by the Ministry of Higher Studies are followed. There are aberrations, he concedes.
University of Balkh
Feda Mohammad Farzam, a lecturer in the Faculty of Economy, says it has become routine for the party in power to influence staff appointments. Rafiaullah from the Faculty of Agriculture estimates more than half the faculty appointments are political. Any person hoping to get a lecturer’s job in the university must have political support. But this is not the view of Malyar Rahin, lecturer in the Faculty of Journalism who says the bulk of teacher-appointments – there are some 430 lecturers in the university – are based on merit. Just 15 percent may be because of links in politics, he says.
Meanwhile, Tamana Faqiri, a student from the same faculty, says students choose party affiliations on the basis of their tribal affiliation mainly. There is strong rivalry between students supporting Jamiat Islami (party founded by Burhanuddin Rabbani who was president in the early ‘90s and more recently headed the High Peace Council when he was assassinated) and Jumbish Milli (led by Rashid Dostum, the first vice president).
Mokamal Alokozai, the head of Balkh University, told Killid that conscious efforts are put to keep students and lecturers out of politics. He says the university has shut down several times in the past because of politics. However, the university does not use force to stop its members from indulging in activities that are outside the ambit of the university, he says.
University of Kabul
The oldest public university in Afghanistan, it has been the epicentre of student activism. Fazel Rahim Baseerat who heads the Faculty of Shariah is linked to the Jamiat Islami. The Faculty of Shariah has 60-odd lecturers. Some have political links, he said in an interview to Killid. But he insists the appointments were transparent and on the basis of merit. “Parties have not had any role in selecting lecturers,” he says. He is emphatic that he has frequently requested colleagues not to get involved in politics.
The warning was possibly not heeded by Abdul Maroof Rasekh, a lecturer in the faculty who was arrested by the National Directorate of Security as Killid was conducting interviews. Rasekh has been reportedly detained on the charge of promoting “extremism”. Faisal Amin, spokesperson for the Ministry of Higher Studies, did not deny the news but said anything further on the subject could only be shared with the media after it was released by the security agencies. Other officials were equally unwilling to give new information.
Meanwhile, Habibullah Habib, the head of Kabul University said all sectarian activity is banned under law without exception.
University of Herat
The authorities in this university also admit to political activism on the campus despite their best efforts to keep political parties out. Zaher Mohtasebzada, a former head of the university told Killid that the rules of the Ministry of Higher Studies on politics are followed on campus. He would not say which parties are active but he mentions the circulation of shabnama (pamphlets on issues that are anti-government) on the campus. The authorities confiscated the shabnama, he says.
Sarwar, a lecturer, considers politics at the Herat University highly individualised and sectarian but since there was very little coordination the activity is dispersed. The university has been politicised for years, he says.
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