Afghan diplomat urges Taliban to scrap female education ban “This is not in Islamic law”

Sher Abbas Stanikzai, the political deputy at Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry, has called for the reversal of the ban on female education in the country. 

Speaking at a religious school ceremony in southeastern Khost province last week, Stanikzai emphasized that there is no justification for denying education to women and girls,  Caliber.Az reports via US media.

“There is no reason to deny education to women and girls, just as there was no justification for it in the past and there shouldn’t be one at all,” Stanikzai stated.

His remarks mark a rare challenge to the ruling government, which has prohibited girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. Last year, there were reports suggesting that medical training for women had also been halted, though authorities have yet to officially confirm this.

In his speech, Stanikzai highlighted the broader societal impact of the ban, noting that it deprives half of Afghanistan's population of their basic rights.

“We are committing an injustice against 20 million people out of a population of 40 million,” he added. “This is not in Islamic law, but our personal choice or nature.”

The deputy’s call for change comes more than two years after the Taliban imposed the ban on girls' secondary education. His comments also mark his first direct appeal to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, urging the leadership to lift the restrictions on education.

Stanikzai has long advocated for women’s education, having previously voiced similar concerns in September 2022, a year after girls' schools were closed and before the university ban was enforced. His recent statements on the issue shared through his official account on the social platform X, have drawn attention both within Afghanistan and internationally.

It is essential to note that the Taliban's policies on female education in Afghanistan have been a subject of significant international concern and debate. Since their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban has implemented measures that have severely restricted educational opportunities for women and girls.

In September 2021, the Taliban barred girls from attending secondary schools, making Afghanistan the only country where girls are prohibited from education beyond the primary level. In December 2022, the Ministry of Higher Education announced a ban on women attending universities, citing the need to establish a "suitable environment" for female students. 

By Khagan Isayev