Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, has described the remarks of Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, regarding girls’ education as a hopeful development.
According to Khalilzad, Stanikzai’s statements and the recent meeting of Islamic countries in Pakistan on the position of women’s education are two promising developments in the area of education.
On X, Khalilzad stated: “Two hopeful developments in the struggle for education of girls and women in Afghanistan:
1. The Islamic International Conference on Education of Girls issued a historic document stating that in Islam, girls have a right to education at all levels, fully the same as men.
2. An important Taliban leader, Mr Stanikzai, the Deputy Foreign Minister, who played a key role in US-Taliban negotiations, called the Taliban leadership’s ban on girls education cruel, unjust and wrong and a violation of the rights of 20 million Afghan girls and women.”
The former US peace envoy for Afghanistan has once again emphasized the reopening of educational institutions for girls.
He further wrote: “The Afghan ulama, the Taliban leaders who privately say they oppose disallowing girls and women from higher education, and all patriotic Afghans must do the same. The high schools and universities should be opened with the start of the Afghan New Year on March 21.”
Sayed Moqaddam Amin, a legal expert, said: “Mr. Stanikzai’s stance at this time can influence public opinion both nationally and internationally. It implies that the system is moving toward maturity, and I am confident that Afghanistan is heading towards positive changes in education, human rights, and security.”
Meanwhile, girls deprived of education in Afghanistan are once again urging the Islamic Emirate to reopen schools and universities in the coming year.
Earlier, representatives from over forty Islamic countries, in a meeting on the position of women’s education, declared that education for girls is not only a religious right but also an essential social need.