Taliban fighters swap arms for books as tons of return to highschool | World News

Gul Agha Jalali used to spend his nights planting bombs -- hoping to focus on an Afghan authorities soldier or, higher nonetheless, a overseas serviceman. Nowadays, the 23-year-old Taliban member is learning English and has enrolled in a pc science course within the capital, Kabul. (Additionally Learn | Inside Afghanistan's secret faculties, the place ladies defy the Taliban)

"When our nation was occupied by infidels, we wanted bombs, mortars and weapons," says Jalali, an worker on the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation.

Now there's a higher want for training, he informed AFP.

Because the Taliban swept again to energy in August final yr, tons of of fighters have returned to highschool -- both on their very own or pushed by their commanders.

The phrase "Taliban" truly means "college students" in Arabic, and the hardline Islamist motion's identify stems from the spiritual faculties in southern Afghanistan it emerged from within the Nineties.

Most Taliban fighters had been educated in these madrassas, the place research are largely restricted to the Koran and different Islamic themes.

Many conservative Afghan clerics -- notably among the many Taliban -- are sceptical of extra trendy training, other than topics than might be utilized virtually, akin to engineering or medication.

"The world is evolving, we'd like expertise and improvement," mentioned Jalali, who planted bombs for 5 years however is now amongst a dozen Taliban learning computer systems on the transport ministry.

- 'Motivated mujahideen' -

The will of fighters like Jalali to return to highschool exhibits Afghans yearned for training, authorities spokesman Bilal Karimi mentioned.

"Many motivated mujahideen who had not accomplished their research reached out to instructional establishments and at the moment are learning their favorite programs," he informed AFP.

However training is a vastly problematic difficulty within the nation, with secondary college ladies barred from lessons for the reason that Taliban returned to energy -- and no signal of them being allowed again regardless of guarantees from some within the management.

Whereas the sooner curriculum largely stays the identical, research on music and sculpture have been scrapped at faculties and universities, that are struggling a paucity of academics and lecturers following an exodus of Afghanistan's educated elite.

However some Taliban college students, like Jalali, have huge plans.

Kabul's Muslim Institute has a scholar physique of round 3,000 -- half of them ladies -- and consists of some 300 Taliban fighters, many distinctive with their bushy beards and turbans.

On a latest tour, AFP noticed one Taliban fighter retrieve a pistol from a locker room on the finish of his classes -- an incongruous sight in a pastel-coloured room adorned with posters of smiling co-ed college students.

"After they arrive, they hand over their weapons. They do not use power or benefit from their place," mentioned an institute official who requested to not be named.

- Need to review -

Amanullah Mubariz was 18 when he joined the Taliban however by no means gave up his want to review.

"I utilized to a college in India, however I failed my English check," mentioned Mubariz, now 25, declining to disclose his present place within the Taliban.

"That is why I enrolled right here," he mentioned, referring to the Muslim Institute.

Mohammad Sabir, in distinction, is glad to confess he works for the Taliban's intelligence company regardless of additionally being a scholar on the non-public Dawat College.

"I resumed my research this yr after the victory of the Islamic Emirate," he says, his lengthy hair and eyes lined with conventional kohl eyeliner peeking out from beneath a white turban.

Like Jalali, he paused his training to affix the Taliban and in addition planted bombs and carried out ambushes together with his brother in Wardak province.

All of the Taliban college students AFP spoke to mentioned they wished to make use of their training to assist develop the nation, so how do they really feel about ladies being disadvantaged of that chance?

"Personally, as a younger man, a scholar and a member of the Emirate, I feel that they've the fitting to training," mentioned Mubariz.

"They will serve our nation the best way we're doing."

"This nation wants them as a lot because it wants us," added Jalali.