The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan for Political Affairs, Sher Mohammad-Abbas Stanikzai, called the ban on girls' education unjust and urged the government to "open the doors of education" for all. The official made this statement at the graduation ceremony of madrassa students in Khost province, reports TOLONews.
According to Stanikzai, the ban on girls attending schools is not in line with Sharia norms. He added that with such decisions, the Taliban are committing injustice against 20 million people out of the 40 million residing in the country.
"We have deprived women of all rights. They cannot choose a husband, they are sacrificed in forced marriages, they are not allowed to study, go to mosques, or attend universities and schools, including religious ones," emphasized the Deputy Minister. He called on the country's leaders to lift the ban on girls' access to education, justifying his words by stating that "in the time of Prophet Muhammad, the doors of knowledge were open to both men and women."
Speaking at the same event, the Deputy Head of the Afghan government for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, highlighted the importance of science alongside religious education.
According to him, we are now in the era of technology, and in order to keep up with the times, modern education must be introduced for the benefit of religion and the nation. However, the politician said nothing about opening schools for girls.
Stanikzai has raised the issue of universal access to education in schools before. Back in 2022, he urged the Taliban to provide safe education for girls.
The Deputy Minister also stated that Afghan women should be included in the staff of government agencies and actively participate in the life of the country, including politics and the economy.
After taking power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban began systematically restricting women's rights, although they had promised to be more restrained than during their first period of rule from 1996 to 2001.
But soon the radical movement banned most girls from attending schools and introduced restrictions for women working in government service. The Ministry for Women's Affairs was abolished. Instead, the Taliban established the Ministry of Propagation of Islamic Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
January 20, 2025