Primary school math textbooks produced by UNO and funded by USAID incorporated militant ideology to promote violence against Soviet soldiers. A third-grade math textbook taught subtraction through this problem: “One group of mujahideen attacked a group of 50 Russian soldiers. In that attack, 20 Russians were killed. How many Russians fled?”

Furthermore, a fourth-grade math textbook put forward this problem: “The speed of a Kalashnikov bullet traveled at 800 meters per second. If a Russian was at a distance of 3200 meters from the mujahid, and that mujahid aimed at the Russian’s head, calculate how many seconds it took to strike the Russian in the forehead.” These examples normalized violence in the everyday lives of Afghan children and groomed Afghan youth to participate in the mujahideen resistance to Russian forces.

Teachers began each day with a “Jihadic Pledge,” recited in unison: “We serve Allah and defend our homeland against the unbelievers.” The teacher’s guide framed the Soviet invasion as an assault on Islam and glorified Mujahideen fighters. By 1986, over two million textbooks reached camps, boosting attendance.

American ‘jihad’ in Afghanistan: Indoctrination of extremism—I

In Buner District, with 85,000 residents, attendance rose to 65 per cent. These textbooks shaped a generation’s worldview, blurring religious devotion and armed struggle.

In Pakistan, they reinforced Zia’s Islamisation, aligning education with........

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