Is it possible the prof simply wanted the students to engage in a bit of contrarian thought, force them to consider and then argue from the opposing side, to see things from the Taliban’s side? (Yes, they’re still terrorists.) These sorts of exercises used to be common practice. Debate teams still do this . . . don’t they?
The contrarian point of view is allowed. It’s the contrarian contrarian view that is not. The other side is exercising free speech. By arguing against it you are suppressing free speech and need to be suppressed as anti democratic. You probably believe in voter suppression to wanting citizenship and ID and ballot integrity and all of that.
Debate teams do indeed have to argue both sides. The prof isn’t a debate instructor. He really believes his crap