Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.
I'm Abubakar Siddique, a senior correspondent at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.
The Key Issue
The Taliban's hard-line higher education minister has defended the extremist group's severe restrictions on female education.
The Islamist group has barred girls from attending school past the sixth grade and banned women from going to university.
In a press conference on August 24, Nida Mohammad Nadim said the Taliban's widely condemned restrictions were "not in conflict with Islam."
He added that questioning the Taliban's policies on education were also banned.
But that has not stopped senior Afghan clerics from criticizing Nadim and the Taliban's controversial education policies.
Mawlana Sibghatullah Mawlawizada, one of the most senior clerics in the western city of Herat, on August 25 challenged Nadim to a public debate.
"I urge him to discuss the [religious] legality of [of the ban on] female education in the presence of national and international media," Mawlawizada said in a video message.
Nadim has not publicly responded to Mawlawizada.
Another leading Afghan cleric, Mawlawi Abdul Sami Ghaznavi, also challenged the Taliban. He said it was the group's "responsibility to create favorable conditions for women's education."
Why It's Important: A growing number of Afghan religious scholars are openly challenging the Taliban's restrictions on female education.
Even some Afghan clerics working for the Taliban-led government have publicly opposed the bans. They have said there is no justification for banning female education under Islam.
Islamic scholars across the world have condemned the Taliban's restrictions. Afghanistan is the only country in the Muslim world where teenage girls and women are banned from receiving an education.
What's Next: Despite domestic and international criticism and pressure, the Taliban is unlikely to reverse its education bans.
Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban's extremist policies have made its unrecognized government an international pariah.
What To Keep An Eye On
Protesters in northwestern Pakistan have blocked Torkham, a key border crossing with Afghanistan. The move has concerned Afghan traders who fear a big financial hit.
Khan Jan Alakozai, a senior official of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, said thousands of trucks transporting fresh Afghan fruits and vegetables have been stranded at the crossing.
"If the border is not opened, some traders will lose their businesses altogether while others will incur mourning custom duties," he told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi on August 29.
Since August 22, members of a Pashtun tribe displaced by a Pakistani military operation have blocked the crossing in protest.
Why It's Important: The frequent closures of Torkham and Chaman, another key crossing, have disrupted trade between the two neighbors.
In recent years, Islamabad has closed the border crossings after clashes between Pakistani and Taliban border guards.
Pakistan has also shuttered the border to pressure the Afghan Taliban to expel the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan extremist group, which is believed to be based in Afghanistan.
That's all from me for now.
Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org
Until next time,
Abubakar Siddique
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