Women and children’s radicalisation under the Taliban administration

Lectures by female scholar and a children’s play among strategies to promote jihadi ideology

Recent talks by Mariam, a female lecturer (ustad) sometimes referred to as Hafiza Ayesha Sidiqui (though AW’s analysis shows they appear to be two different individuals sometimes mistakenly referred to as the same person), highlight how pro-jihadi messaging is increasingly tailored towards Afghan women.

On 28 October 2024, an X (formerly Twitter) account attributed to Mariam, which has nearly 10,000 followers, shared a video (1:40 minutes) of her addressing a group of female students.

Miriam says that since women have already fulfilled their traditional roles, it is now time for them to concentrate on raising their children with a focus on jihad: “Let’s revive the spirit of jihad. Dear mother, enough with baking cakes; enough with raising sheep and making sweets. You have done all of that. Now, teach your sons and daughters. Raise them with the ideology of jihad, instil this purpose in them.”

She also invokes women mentioned in the Quran, including Khamsa and Asma, as role models. The same video clip was also shared on 30 October on her Facebook account, which has some 12,000 followers. Numerous anti-Taliban accounts said that the speech, which was also covered by Aamaj News, was “encouraging extremism”.

The video was recorded at the Tasnim Nusrat Islamic Sciences and Education Centre (ISEC) in Kabul, from where other video clips of Mariam have been posted on the same X account in the past. Although not directly linked to the official Taliban, the Centre was allowed to continue providing higher education to women shortly after the prohibition on women’s education in December 2022.

Figure 1: A comparison between a screenshot from Mariam’s recent video (right) and an earlier image of her shared by the ISEC’s official Facebook account (left), which displays ISEC’s flag and logo.

Separately, Mariam has also recently lectured on jihad in the context of the conflict in Gaza. On 23 October 2024, the ISEC Facebook page promoted an upcoming lecture of Mariam’s on “Palestine martyrs and our responsibilities”, which featured an image from the viral video showing the recent death of Yahya Al-Sinwar, Hamas’s intelligence chief.

Figure 2: Poster from 23 October 2024 announcing a special gathering at ISEC with a lecture by Mariam.

Photos and a partial video of the lecture were later shared online, including on the IESC Facebook page. Mariam is seen sitting on a stage that has been built to resemble a conflict scene, seemingly the house where Sinwar was killed.

Female students in attendance are shown holding banners with pro-jihadi messages, including the Arabic text: “We are those who have given the Pledge of Allegiance to Muhammad to observe Jihad as long as we remain alive.” While pro-Palestine propaganda has been widely shared by Taliban supporters online previously, the lecture is a notable example of how such messaging is also being used in educational settings.

Figure 3: Image of Mariam speaking at ISEC on 24 October 2024 on Yahya Al-Sinwar’s death, sitting on a stage seemingly replicating the rubble where Sinwar’s death was filmed.

Nasrat Sahebi, the owner of the ISEC, has also advocated using violence against Israel. In November 2023, Nasrat spoke at a gathering named “We are a united Ummah [nation]” at the ISEC, saying that history would write that “women and children were being massacred in Palestine and people [Muslims] were busy speaking about [football player] Messi’s eighth Ballon D’Or.” He suggested pointing the guns used to celebrate a recent victory of the Afghanistan cricket team towards the enemies of the Palestinians instead.

Figure 4: A screenshot from a video lecture of Nasrat Sahebi, the founder of ISEC, promoting pro-Palestine jihad.

Family life, a woman’s role, and jihad: Who is Mariam?

Mariam is a Farsi-speaking lecturer at the ISEC’s branch in PD 5 of Kabul, where she has delivered classes since at least January 2024. These include regular morning sessions for women and girls on family planning and their roles in society. She claims to hold a master’s degree in hadith (the teachings of Prophet Muhammad) and Sharia studies. Various accounts on social media are attributed to Mariam. AW verified that these accounts combine Mariam’s lectures with pro-Taliban and Jihadi content.

Figure 5: A promotional poster for Mariam’s morning class on good parenting.

Her lectures should be seen in the context of other gendered pro-Taliban messaging. In 2023, for example, a video surfaced showing a madrassa graduation ceremony in an unknown location, with some female students carrying weapons and Taliban flags. Similarly, some pro-Taliban accounts share images of armed women to emphasise their role in jihad and in raising the next generation of fighters.

A geopolitical children’s play in Baghlan

On 28 October 2024, AW sources in Baghlan province privately shared a video clip (5:41 minutes) from a Taliban-run orphanage in the province, “The Central Orphanage of Baghlan Province” (also known as “Hazrat Bilal Ibn Rabah Orphanage”).

The video shows students performing a play about the conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. A banner shows the orphanage’s name and that the event took place on 14 August 2024, commemorating the third anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power.

A shorter segment (2:20 minutes) of the same video was also shared on 30 October by a pro-Taliban X account, while the full clip was posted on 2 November on a pro-Taliban Facebook account (with the logo of the Nedaye Kunduz online news channel).

A group of 12 students, who appear to be 8-14 years old, are performing the play. All but one of them have covered faces and wear flags representing various countries.

The play begins with Islamic countries – including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, and Oman – and Palestine gathering on stage and conversing in solidarity. Shortly after, Israel enters the stage, joined by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. Israel then confronts and overpowers Palestine, while its allies stand by in support.

In desperation, Palestine turns to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, and Oman to plead for help. The US, however, quietly offers bribes to the four Islamic countries, causing them to turn their backs on Palestine. Suddenly, two Taliban members arrive accompanied by a second Palestinian character who has sought their help. They hold a Taliban flag and carry a yellow jerry can, symbolic of the makeshift explosive devices the Taliban used during past conflicts.

The presence of the Taliban shocks France, the UK, and the US, who quickly offer apologies to them. The US even attempts to offer money, but the Taliban refuse and hold up the jerry can in response. The supporters of Israel begin to withdraw.

The Taliban then lift Palestine up from the ground, embracing it in solidarity. Inspired, the Islamic countries join hands to form a ring alongside Palestine and the Taliban. They then confront Israel and its allies together, removing their flags, while isolating the US and symbolically “punishing” it through gestures. In the final scene, other students and teachers appear around the stage, holding Taliban flags.

Figure 6: Screenshots from a video of the play at a Taliban-run orphanage.

The play depicts the Taliban as the saviours of Palestine from Israel and its allies, striking fear into global powers. It also shows the Taliban as a counterweight to the alleged cowardice of other Muslim countries who are not supporting Palestine.

Reports of the radicalisation of children in educational centres under the Taliban are not new. In late 2023, a video surfaced on social media showing students at a private school in Khost province performing a military-style parade wearing uniforms. Pro-Taliban accounts have also shared photos and videos of children dressed in military attire, carrying both toy and real weapons, often accompanied by messages in support of raising children with a “jihadi” ideology.

Remarks

Under the Taliban de facto administration, radicalisation among women and children appears to continue, particularly through educational and religious channels. While Mariam’s lectures encourage women to raise children with a focus on jihad, the play staged at a Taliban-run orphanage in Baghlan reinforces anti-Western narratives.

Pro-Taliban accounts have long shared similar footage of children engaged in military-style parades and dressed in combat attire, often accompanied by pro-jihad messages. It is notable, however, that these more recent videos place pro-Taliban messaging into the context of the conflict in Gaza. This appears to promote a more global concept of jihad, despite the Taliban’s long-stated official position of only being a national movement.