Rising literacy shields Afghans from extremist recruitment

Over the past two decades, Afghanistan’s growing literacy has transformed its youth into a strong barrier against extremist recruitment.

While terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) have long attempted to manipulate young Afghans for violent purposes, rising education levels have sharply reduced their influence.

Faisal Ebrahimi, 30, is one example of this shift.

Originally from Ghor province, he moved to Herat to pursue higher education and graduated from the Faculty of Law and Political Science.

Before leaving his village near the provincial capital, Firozkoh, he saw ISIS trying to lure local youth into its ranks.

"When I saw the black flag in my village, I was terrified," he told Salaam Times.

"ISIS members were encouraging the youth to kill and carry out suicide attacks. I decided to study, but my cousin, who joined ISIS, was killed that same year," he said.

Determined to resist the group’s influence, Ebrahimi encouraged young people in his village to reject ISIS’s ideology.

"By citing verses of the Holy Quran and the Prophet’s teachings, I proved that ISIS activities were forbidden. These efforts helped many young people leave ISIS and return to education," he added.

As more youth turned away from the group, he said, "the black flag disappeared from our village, and peace and security returned."

Many of those who abandoned ISIS later pursued school or university, becoming doctors, engineers, and teachers who now challenge extremist narratives.

Unmasking extremist manipulation

Educators and analysts said this growing awareness has reshaped the country’s social landscape.

Abdul Khaliq Azizi, a university professor in Herat, described the last twenty years as a turning point for Afghanistan’s youth.

"Over the last twenty years, Afghan youth became familiar with knowledge and the outside world by attending schools and universities," he said.

"Their worldview expanded. These educated young people are now a strong barrier against terrorist groups and have prevented their recruitment and growth," he added.

Azizi emphasized that increased literacy has revealed the true intentions of groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS.

"Educated Afghan youth clearly understand that extremist groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS are Afghanistan’s main enemies. These groups have harmed Afghans and their country to achieve their own goals," he said.

This shift is amplified by the fundamental clash between extremist ideology and Afghan values.

The beliefs of al-Qaeda and ISIS "are entirely foreign and have no connection to Afghan religious or cultural values," said political analyst Muhammad Saleem Wardak.

"The people of Afghanistan despise extremism and violence and never support such ideologies. The logic and beliefs of al-Qaeda and ISIS revolve around killing and bloodshed, and such ideas have always failed in Afghanistan," he said.

These groups now hide in remote mountains, unable to win local support, while Afghans from all backgrounds remain united against their destructive ideology, Wardak said.