Malala Yousafzai, education activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, stated that the interim government of Afghanistan has deprived Afghan girls of their right to education.
Speaking on the second day of a conference titled “Women’s Education in Islamic Societies: Challenges and Opportunities” in Islamabad, she remarked that Afghanistan is currently the only country in the world where girls are barred from education.
Malala Yousafzai said: “This conference will not fulfill its purpose if we do not talk about the education of Afghan girls because Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls are completely banned from education beyond grade sixth. For the past three and half years the Taliban have taken the right to learn from every Afghan girl.”
“It is necessary for the Islamic Emirate to reopen schools and universities for girls to prevent any problems arising from this issue,” said Mohammad Aslam Danishmal, a university professor.
Roza Otunbayeva, head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), described the challenges of girls’ access to education as multidimensional, emphasizing the need for dialogue at all levels.
Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, the leader of Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party, also highlighted the importance of education in Islamic societies during the first day of the conference.
“In many Islamic countries, Muslim women face challenges in accessing education due to various factors such as continued attacks by major powers, internal wars, cultural differences, and a lack of resources. These countries, which are in the process of state-building and social development, need support. It is essential to listen to scholars and experts and engage in dialogue to understand their conditions and challenges. We must assist them, especially in women’s education, not from our perspective but through their lens, to help them achieve success and prosperity.”
Qibla Ayaz, Pakistan’s member of the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court, said: “In a number of muslim countries this problem persists because of some religious talks, but in many countries because of some culture, and in a number of countries because of the poverty and you know the lack of infrastructure.”
So far, the Islamic Emirate has not commented on this conference.
This conference, which has brought together representatives from over forty Islamic countries and some organizations, is examining the challenges and opportunities for women’s education in Islamic countries.
A resolution is expected to be issued by the participants on the second day of the conference.
On the first day, the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League stated that religious scholars have a consensus on the right of women to education.