Some experts say that children who go through the various stages of their physical, psychological, and intellectual development under Taliban rule are influenced by Taliban thinking in every aspect of their lives. According to them, the transmission of the Taliban’s mindset, particularly their interpretation of religion, could have devastating consequences for the country’s future. These experts believe that, if the current situation continues, Afghanistan may in the coming years face a generation of teenagers and young people who have been influenced by extremist views and beliefs that are stricter than those of today.
Shakib (pseudonym), a university lecturer, says: “The fundamental problem is that the Taliban present all of their policies to the people in the name of religion and Islam. Individuals and families with limited knowledge of religious teachings may not be able to properly understand and assess these interpretations. As a result, this process could lay the groundwork for the formation of a mindset and beliefs similar to the views of the Taliban among them.”
The lecturer adds: “The transmission of the Taliban’s ideas and mindset, particularly their understanding of Islam, to the next generation has worrying consequences. If this situation continues, Afghanistan may in the coming years face a generation of teenagers and young people who have been influenced by extremist and rigid views, and who may take an inflexible approach even toward minor matters in life. Such an attitude can lead to the spread of suspicion, wrongful judgments and the labeling of others.”
Tawhid (pseudonym), a psychologist, says that children go through different stages of mental, emotional and social development, and that the inappropriate behavior and worrying conditions that have emerged as a result of the Taliban’s policies and conduct in society can disrupt their healthy development. According to him, exposing children to such conditions leads to anxiety, stress and psychological problems among them.
The psychologist adds: “This situation can slow children’s development, reinforce feelings of hopelessness and insecurity in them, and negatively affect their social and cultural growth.”
Azita Nazhand, a child rights activist, says that the policies and conduct of the Taliban can have destructive consequences for the development and personality formation of children. According to her, childhood is a fundamental stage in the formation of a person’s self-confidence, personality, attitudes and beliefs, and spending this period in an environment full of discrimination, prejudice, restrictions and economic poverty puts children’s future at serious risk.
At the same time, several families have expressed concern about the impact of the Taliban’s policies and conduct on their children’s mindset, morale and future.
Shabnam (pseudonym), a mother whose nine-year-old daughter has been afraid of going outside since the Taliban took control, adds that she took her daughter to a psychologist to improve her mental condition. She says: “Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, my daughter has been afraid of going outside. Even when we are in the car and reach checkpoints, she closes her eyes as soon as she sees Taliban members. Once, when we were going to a wedding, she was crying and asking me to give her a chador so that the Taliban would not beat her for not wearing a hijab.”
The mother adds: “Many nights, when she wakes up in the morning, she tells us she dreamed that the Taliban were beating her for not observing the hijab. To improve her condition, we took her to a psychologist for two sessions, and now she is doing better than before.”
Roya (pseudonym), the sister of a child whose views, she says, have been influenced by the Taliban’s behavior and attitudes, says that her 12-year-old brother has lost interest in studying and considers continuing education pointless given the country’s current situation. According to her, the influence of the Taliban’s behavior and views is not limited to her brother; other children in their area have also been influenced by the group in terms of clothing, speech, behavior and mindset.
Roya says: “Although my brother is only 12 years old, he wears nothing but traditional shalwar kameez. He says that if even educated people can make a living by pushing handcarts, what is the point of studying? He also keeps listening to Taliban chants and makes his videos with these chants. This situation has worried all members of the family.”
This comes as United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres, in his latest report on Afghanistan, released on October 11, 2023, said that the country’s situation continues to be shaped by a complex combination of insecurity, poverty, displacement, environmental challenges and severe restrictions on the rights of women and girls. According to the UN Secretary-General, children in Afghanistan face widespread violations of their rights, including being killed and injured, recruitment into armed conflict, sexual violence and denial of access to humanitarian services. The report cited poverty, insecurity, cross-border clashes and the Taliban’s restrictions on women and girls as factors worsening the critical situation of children in Afghanistan.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
کودکی زیر سایه طالبان؛ از ترس و اضطراب تا شکلگیری نسل آینده با نگرشهای افراطی
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