Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs in Afghanistan, called the ban on girls’ education unjust and urged the government to “open the doors of education for all people.” This statement was made during a ceremony for madrassa graduates in Khost province, as reported by the national portal “Adyrna,” citing Fergana.news.
According to Stanikzai, the ban on girls attending school does not align with Sharia law. He also stated that the Taliban’s decisions in this regard are unjust to 20 million out of the country’s 40 million people.
“We have deprived women of all their rights. They cannot choose their husbands, are victims of forced marriages, and are not allowed to study, attend mosques, universities, and schools, including religious institutions,” Stanikzai emphasized.
He called on the country’s leaders to lift the ban on girls’ education, arguing that during the time of Prophet Muhammad, the doors of education were open to both men and women.
However, at the same event, Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, emphasized the importance of science alongside religious knowledge. He stated that the era of technology has begun, and it is essential to introduce a modern education system for the benefit of religion and the nation. However, he did not mention the opening of schools for girls.
This is not the first time Stanikzai has raised the issue of universal access to education. In 2022, he called on the Taliban to ensure safe education opportunities for girls. Additionally, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs has previously stated that Afghan women should work in government institutions and actively participate in the country’s socio-political and economic life.
It should be noted that after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, they gradually began to restrict women’s rights. However, compared to their initial rule from 1996 to 2001, they claimed to take a more restrained approach. Soon after, the radical movement banned girls from attending school and imposed restrictions on women working in the public sector. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs was dissolved and replaced by the “Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.”
