Asia

The silent growing of extremism

Published

10.02.2025 15:37

Harici.com.tr

The widespread presence of fighters of various terrorist groups in Afghanistan has always brought many concerns. However, less has been talked about the effects of creating religious and jihadi schools and extremist education in this field.

Sources from government universities say that about 50pc of the subjects that were previously taught as Islamic sciences have now been changed and replaced by new subjects with the Taliban’s ideological approach.

In particular, the themes of “Islamic Belief System” and “Islamic Administrative System” are recently taught in universities. At the same time, religious experts and university professors believe that the educational programs of the Taliban are not in accordance with professional standards from the scientific point of view and the standards of the teaching and training curriculum and are more ideological, fanatical, and brainwashing.

According to them, Afghanistan will become the biggest factory for the production of violent forces that will raise millions of fanatics and victims of extreme brainwashing. They warn that if the conditions become favorable, these forces will bring a crisis not only to Afghanistan, but also to the region.

A reliable source in one of Kabul’s public universities says that the Taliban have made about 50pc changes in the subjects of Islamic sciences. According to him, earlier only one credit was allocated for teaching Islamic culture, but now four credits are allocated for teaching this subject. “New topics such as the political system of Islam, the belief system of Islam and the administrative system of Islam have replaced some of the previous topics,” he added.

Educational programs of schools do not match the professional standards, it is meant for brainwashing.

Mohammad Mohaq, a researcher of religious affairs said that one of the dangerous consequences of the Taliban rule is the indiscriminate and unnecessary expansion of religious schools, which promote radical religious programs regardless of the capacity of the Afghan society.

According to him, the educational programs of these schools do not match the professional standards from the scientific point of view and the standards of the education and training curriculum and are more ideological, fanatical, targeted and brainwashing. He states that the purpose of these programs is to engineer the minds of children and teenagers who study in these institutions.

“Those who study in such institutions are like programmed robots who do not have the ability to think and only look at the world and values from a specific and ideological aspect,” he added.

He furthered that the number of students of religious schools is large and in the future they will become a force equipped with ideology, who lack the necessary skills to improve life, grow society and meet livelihood needs. According to him, this idle but energetic and fanatical force can easily become tools for ideological, military and violent jihadist purposes in the future.

He emphasizes that millions of people who are trained in this way, the only ability they have is to use them for ideological purposes and to recruit soldiers in wars and violence.

Mohaq says that increasing religious and non-professional themes in schools and universities will have unfortunate consequences for the future of Afghanistan. He added that independent schools and universities, which are willing to voluntarily implement the Taliban’s extremist programs in their institutions for their economic goals, expand the scope of promoting such thinking throughout Afghanistan.

There is fear Afghanistan could become biggest factory for the production of violent force.

According to him, part of this extremism is transferred to families by students and professors, especially women who study in religious schools, take this thinking to their homes and want to influence other members of their family. He emphasized that in an environment where access to free information is limited and people are unable to get acquainted with different ideas, extremism conquers homes.

He added that the long-term results of this process will lead to intellectual chaos in the hearts of families and turning homes into ideologically dangerous environments.

He believes that if these forces are absorbed in government institutions, companies and business environments, their radical religious thinking, which is aimed at violence, will take root in the society and in this way they will expose the whole society to ideological engineering.

According to him, from this point of view, Afghanistan will become the biggest factory for the production of violent forces, which cultivates millions of fanatics and victims of extreme brainwashing. He states that if the conditions are favorable, these forces can bring crises to the region in addition to Afghanistan. According to Mohaq, this free fighting force will be free soldiers for future wars not only in Afghanistan but also in neighboring countries.

Shahla Farid, a former professor at Kabul University, told 8Sobh, a local newspaper, that political and social restrictions have hindered freedom of speech and thought. According to her, at present, views opposing the ideology of the Taliban are not allowed to discuss with the extremist thinking of this group in universities, and only discussions are centered around extremist ideologies.

She states that the discussions inside the universities are completely ideological and one-sided, and this situation has made the ground favorable for the growth of extremism in the universities.

The former university professor added that there is no necessary cultural, political and social education for students and they rely on incorrect education that has led to extremism.

According to her, even students do not have proper knowledge of their history, culture and religion. He said that another factor in the growth of extremism is the impact of war and instability, which many young people seek to identify and find meaning in their lives. According to him, in a violent atmosphere, young people are more attracted to these thoughts.

Experts blame Taliban for prompting extremism in universities

She furthered that various factors have caused the growth of extremism in universities, which existed even before the Taliban took over, and some professors also play a role in this process. She highlights the role of government policies and political parties in promoting extremism in universities after the civil wars and says that many extremist groups have used universities as a platform to recruit members and spread their ideas.

Some parties have tried to push the youth towards strict interpretations of religion. She says that the space for free discussion and exchange of opinions in the guilds is limited and this limitation was imposed by the academic and administrative managers in the universities in the past. According to her, professors were not allowed to raise political and cultural discussions freely in the classes.

Meanwhile, a source from Herat says that the Taliban arrest and torture university professors who act contrary to the Taliban’s policies. According to the source, the Taliban, who arrest the teachers, put plastic on the heads of the people and suffocate them so that the effects of torture cannot be seen. “Some time ago, they tortured a professor in the same way,” he said.

Also, the Taliban have applied extensive pressure against religious minorities in Afghanistan in the last three and a half years. This group has forcibly converted a number of Ismaili and Shia followers of twelve imams in Badakhshan province.

Up Next

Earthquake in Taiwan causes $162 million loss for TSMC

Don't Miss

Crisis: Responsibilities and the necessity of a new approach

Harici.com.tr

Asia

China launches patrols east of Taiwan after Japan and Philippines open maritime boundary talks

Published

3 days ago

01/06/2026

Harici.com.tr

Beijing said it had conducted law enforcement patrols in waters east of Taiwan in response to a decision by Japan and the Philippines to launch talks on maritime boundary delimitation.

According to a statement from the China Coast Guard, a flotilla led by the vessel Daishan carried out law enforcement patrols “in accordance with the law” on Monday.

China Coast Guard spokesperson Jiang Lue said the operation was “a necessary action” in response to Japan and the Philippines “unilaterally announcing the start of negotiations on maritime delimitation in waters east of China’s Taiwan Island.”

“Such an announcement seriously infringes upon China’s territorial sovereignty and its maritime rights and interests,” Jiang said.

“We urge Japan and the Philippines to immediately cease all illegal actions that violate China’s sovereignty and rights,” he added.

Jiang also said the coast guard would continue strengthening its control and management of the relevant waters and that China would take concrete measures to “resolutely safeguard territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”

The United States and most of its allies, including Japan and the Philippines, do not recognize Taiwan as an independent state and acknowledge it as part of China. The United Nations has also adopted resolutions reflecting this position. However, Washington continues to provide arms to Taiwan as part of its broader efforts to counter China and encourages its allies to do the same.

Following a summit in Tokyo between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the two countries said in a joint statement issued on Thursday that they had agreed to begin “formal negotiations” to delimit their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and continental shelves.

Beijing condemned the planned talks as “completely illegal and invalid” and swiftly lodged formal diplomatic protests with both Tokyo and Manila.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday: “The so-called delimitation negotiations are entirely illegal, invalid and void. They will have no impact whatsoever on China’s claims or on China’s exercise of its legitimate rights in the area east of Taiwan Island.”

The latest escalation comes at a time when relations between Beijing and both Tokyo and Manila are already strained. Japan and the Philippines are treaty allies of the United States, while China remains engaged in separate territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea and with the Philippines in the South China Sea.

As US attention and resources have increasingly shifted toward the war involving Iran, and as the White House has made the Western Hemisphere a strategic priority, Japan and the Philippines have stepped up diplomatic engagement in the region commonly referred to as the Indo-Pacific.

That effort has included building closer security and defence ties with other countries, prompting Beijing to accuse them of encouraging bloc confrontation in the region.

Japan and the Philippines do not share a maritime boundary. However, their seabed claims could overlap because both countries seek to extend their legal continental shelves beyond 200 nautical miles, equivalent to 370 kilometres or 230 miles.

The overlapping area lies east of Taiwan, southwest of Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and north of the Philippines’ Batanes Islands.

Yang Xiao, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China’s highest-ranking state-affiliated think tank, said Taiwan’s EEZ and continental shelf are part of the area under discussion.

“These are China’s rights and are not something that the two sides can negotiate among themselves,” Yang said.

In an interview published on Sunday by Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV, before the China Coast Guard announced the patrols, Yang said Beijing would take “historic and unprecedented” countermeasures against Tokyo and Manila.

“Since they are negotiating in a three-party overlapping zone, we can also take further steps to advance our jurisdiction in the waters east of Taiwan,” Yang said.

“If the other side insists on reckless and destructive actions, we will inevitably introduce new countermeasures.”

Yang described the waters east of Taiwan as a vital maritime area for the island’s economic activities.

“If these waters are divided between Japan and the Philippines, that would clearly harm the interests of the people living on Taiwan Island,” he added.

Asia

SoftBank overtakes Toyota to become Japan’s most valuable company

Published

3 days ago

01/06/2026

Harici.com.tr

As artificial intelligence reshapes industrial structures in Japan and South Korea, stock market rankings are being redrawn. SoftBank Group has overtaken Toyota Motor to become Japan’s most valuable listed company.

SoftBank shares have surged as the global artificial intelligence rally gathers momentum, lifting the technology conglomerate’s market capitalisation above that of Toyota for the first time in more than two decades.

The shift reflects a broader reordering of Japan’s equity market. Automakers, alongside banks, steelmakers, energy companies and other traditional heavy industries, are losing ground to chipmakers and companies linked to artificial intelligence.

SoftBank shares jumped 14% on Monday, reaching a new record high. The company’s market value climbed to 48 trillion yen, or $301 billion, making it the most valuable company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Toyota had long held the top position, with a market capitalisation of approximately 45 trillion yen. The last time SoftBank surpassed Toyota was in March 2000, at the peak of the dot-com bubble.

SoftBank’s rapid rise has been driven by strong earnings performance and its substantial investment in ChatGPT developer OpenAI.

The Japanese company reported net profit of 1.82 trillion yen, or $11.4 billion, for the first three months of 2026, 3.5 times higher than in the same period a year earlier. The group is also increasing its investment in OpenAI, completing a $10 billion investment in April and committing to invest an additional $20 billion later this year. Total investment is expected to reach roughly $65 billion.

According to The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI plans to file for an initial public offering and aims to list in the United States as early as September. Some media reports suggest the company could seek to raise $60 billion through the offering, potentially valuing it at more than $1 trillion. Such a transaction could become the largest initial public offering in history.

Investors expect the IPO to significantly boost SoftBank’s investment gains. Those expectations have helped drive the technology group’s share price higher. SoftBank shares have risen about 127% since early April.

The company is also planning to invest up to 14 trillion yen in the construction of data centres in France.

Asia

China and Serbia agree to expand cooperation in emerging sectors

Published

1 week ago

26/05/2026

Harici.com.tr

Chinese President Xi Jinping met Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Beijing, where the two leaders discussed bilateral ties and oversaw the signing of multiple cooperation agreements. Xi also awarded Vucic the Friendship Medal of the People’s Republic of China.

The meeting between Xi Jinping and Aleksandar Vucic began with an official welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The two leaders then proceeded to formal talks. Xi said China and Serbia had achieved “positive results” since jointly launching the construction of a “China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era” in 2024.

Xi said the partnership had not only benefited the two peoples but had also set an example for international relations.

The Chinese president described relations between China and Serbia as an “iron friendship” based on deep historical ties and mutual trust.

Calling on both sides to strengthen exchanges, deepen practical cooperation and continue supporting each other on issues concerning their core interests, Xi also said the two countries should align their development strategies and advance cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. In this context, he pointed to transport, energy and infrastructure projects.

Xi also called for expanding cooperation in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, the digital economy, green energy and advanced manufacturing.

Aleksandar Vucic congratulated China on the start of implementation of its 15th Five-Year Plan. Vucic also expressed confidence in China’s future development under Xi Jinping’s leadership.

The Serbian president said Belgrade attached great importance to relations with China and firmly supported Beijing on issues concerning China’s core interests.

Vucic thanked Chinese companies for their contributions to Serbia’s economic development and infrastructure construction.

Saying the two countries had made notable progress since establishing their comprehensive strategic partnership, Vucic added that cooperation had expanded across numerous sectors.

The Serbian president also praised China’s role in international affairs, saying Beijing approached smaller countries on the basis of equality and respect and defended international law.

Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of more than 20 cooperation agreements covering politics, trade, science and technology, education, legal affairs and culture.

The two sides also issued joint statements on steadily advancing the construction of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era and jointly supporting the implementation of four global initiatives.