Afghanistan has two nationally recognized official languages: Pashto and Dari Persian. Dari Persian is the most common language, with 78% of people in Afghanistan able to speak the language.

Pashto is one of Afghanistan’s national languages and is used for official communications by the Taliban, which has controlled the country since the chaotic U.S. withdrawal in August 2021.

The Taliban’s anti-Persian stance is rooted in their educational and cultural background, but also reflects a longstanding desire by successive Afghan governments to displace the Persian language.

MOTASIM (in Afghan language): ♪ (aircraft flying in distance) NARRATOR: By 2005, the Taliban reorganized and the mission of the international coalition became more complicated.

The wealth of Persian volumes on philosophy, science, and statecraft encouraged many of the region's inhabitants to adopt the language of their rulers. As American diplomats and Taliban envoys in ...

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has worsened since U.S. forces withdrew in 2021. For Afghans applying for asylum, the process is proving increasingly difficult, and technology is causing ...

How a young, deaf refugee from Afghanistan found her voice in Chicago Mahbuba, who’s now 6 years old, arrived at a Chicago school with no previous exposure to formal sign language.

What the Taliban Told Me," by Ian Fritz is a gripping coming-of-age memoir that traces his time as a young U.S. airborne cryptologic linguist in Afghanistan.

Rahimi left Afghanistan in 2021 and came to the United States, where he is awaiting asylum. Since June 2022, he has worked as an immigration specialist with Jewish Vocational Service.