Abdul Rashid Dostum has called on Neda Mohammad Nadeem, the Taliban’s Minister of Higher Education, to apologize over his alleged behavior toward a Kabul University student who was wearing an Uzbek hat.
Dostum said Turkic peoples in Afghanistan, like other ethnic groups, are a great people with a rich culture and are indigenous to the country, adding that insulting their culture goes against Islamic principles and undermines national unity.
Hibatullah Yaqouboglu, a student of Uzbek language and literature, claimed he was slapped by Neda Mohammad Nadeem for wearing an Uzbek hat.
The incident has triggered widespread reactions among exiled politicians, activists, academics, and members of the public.
Dostum said: “…this kind of action by the so-called Minister of Higher Education is, in terms of humanity and Islam, unacceptable and contrary to human and Islamic dignity.”
He added that Turkic peoples in Afghanistan, with their distinct cultural features such as buzkashi, wrestling, and the chapan, have lived in the region for thousands of years.
The leader of the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan strongly condemned the alleged behavior of the Taliban minister, saying the group must respect the cultural values of the Afghan people.
