Islamic Emirate Leader Issues Decree to Replace Foreign Terms in Official Documents

KABUL (Afghan Verified) -- Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Amir al-Mu'minin of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has issued a supreme decree ordering the formation of a committee to evaluate and replace foreign terms in administrative and fundamental documents with suitable Islamic and Afghan alternatives.

The decree, published by the Ministry of Justice, tasks a commission led by that ministry and including representatives from the Ministries of Higher Education, Education, Information and Culture, Administrative Affairs, and the Academy of Sciences. All government administrations are required to compile lists of foreign terms used in their official documents, propose replacements with justifications, and submit them to the committee for review.

The committee will assess the submissions, select appropriate alternatives prioritizing Islamic and Afghan terms -- exempting Arabic Islamic terms and Afghani words -- and present final recommendations to the leadership for approval, according to the decree cited by RTA.

Amu TV reported that this follows previous efforts by the Taliban to remove Persian terms such as 'university' and 'faculty' from educational institutions, which drew sharp criticism from human rights groups and educators who described it as 'linguistic apartheid.'

Hurriyat and RTA detailed the committee's composition and procedural obligations consistently, emphasizing the use of Islamic and Afghan alternatives.