Exclusive; The Continued Ban on Girls’ Education Has Dangerous Consequences
Bayan News – On the verge of the third anniversary of the closure of girls’ schools in Afghanistan, several religious scholars warn that the ongoing ban on girls’ education will have dangerous consequences for the country.
Sardar Ali Mohseni, a religious scholar and the Friday prayer leader of western Kabul, in an exclusive interview with Bayan News, stated that no religious scholar supports the closure of girls’ schools. However, there is support for the Taliban’s policies regarding the segregation of schools and universities for girls and the provision of a suitable environment.
Mohseni clearly stated: “The closure of schools is not supported by any religious scholar in Afghanistan. Over the past three years, they have continuously urged the authorities of the Islamic Emirate to reopen the schools and educational institutions while maintaining Islamic values, so that girls can benefit from the blessings of knowledge and education.”
He warned that if the doors of schools and universities remain closed to girls, it will have dangerous consequences: “Early and forced marriages, girls being deprived of their natural rights, and even being unable to advocate for their own rights—these problems are real.”
According to Mohseni, the issue of girls’ schools has been raised several times by both Sunni and Shia scholars with Taliban officials. Even Taliban officials have expressed concerns, acknowledging that education is an essential right for the young generation of Afghanistan, regardless of whether they are boys or girls.
This Afghan Shia religious scholar further emphasized: “As a religious scholar, I have one expectation, which is that the leaders and political authorities of the Islamic Emirate aspire to elevate Afghanistan in terms of knowledge, politics, and economy. This is an internationally accepted principle, and common sense dictates that a nation can only reach a higher level of political, military, and economic power when there are many educated individuals in the country. If the leaders of the Islamic Emirate are sincere in their claim to develop Afghanistan into a progressive and self-sufficient nation, they must rely on the intellect of the younger generation.”
After returning to power in Afghanistan, one of the first actions the Taliban took was to close schools to girls above the sixth grade and later prohibit female students from attending universities.
According to statistics published by international organizations, more than one million girls across Afghanistan have been deprived of education.
