However, the idea of "relaxation" is relative. While the Pashtun-led Taliban may interfere less in the social spheres of minority communities, "less" does not mean "not at all." Even in the Hazara heartland of Bamiyan, the shadow of the state remains long – as I witnessed during my trip to Bamiyan. But the specific struggles of these minority women are a story for another time, for now, we must return to the convictions of Maulana Akhtar Jan.

“Of course she will go to school”

"Is it right to punish your own daughters for America''''s broken promises?"

Maulana Jan fell silent. He stared out at the sunset, watching a train from Iran roll slowly along the tracks into Herat. It was a stark reminder of the world beyond the border—a neighbour that, despite its own rigid laws, had never seen fit to erase women from its schools.

I broke his reverie by asking about his own family. He told me he had two daughters, both of whom had been students before the 2021 takeover.

"If the ban is lifted, will they return?" I asked.

The response from the Taliban Mujahid was immediate and stripped of political posturing. "Of course they will," he said. "Education is necessary."