Fighting Extremism Through Education

Sharif Fayez, an Afghan scholar, is the founder of the American University of Afghanistan and a former higher education minister. In a recently published article he states that ". . . Kabul needs to reform the education sector so it can meet contemporary challenges and help prevent violence and instability fomented by extremist ideologies". He reviews the role of education in Afghanistan and the influence of ideology and religion under the Communist regime, the Taliban, and the current political structure. He believes that public education has been used in the past as a political tool. He has some worries about the madrasah system which works as a socialization mechanism for religious groups and a recruiting ground for the Taliban. Of great concern are the unregistered and unmonitored madrasahs located in Afghanistan. Read his article in "Fighting Extremism Through Education in Afghanistan", Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe, January 9, 2015.