World Watch Monitor August 9, 2019
While the Afghan government is engaged in peace talks with the hard-line Taliban movement, radical Islamist groups are spreading their ideology at universities.
Basira, a 22-year-old student, was beaten up twice earlier this year, at her university in Kabul, when her headscarf slipped from her head. In both cases she was accused of being a bad Muslim and of promoting Christianity.
Radicalisation is growing, also among her professors. Meanwhile authorities also confirm radical groups like Islamic State use universities to spread their ideology and to recruit new fighters.
Since IS was driven out of Iraq and Syria, it has its sights set on Afghanistan where the group is expanding.
The core of IS militants in Afghanistan consists of many disgruntled Taliban splinter groups and, reportedly, some returning fighters from Syria. They will try to attack in Afghanistan, and, for Christians, this basically means that they need to continue to keep their faith hidden.