Afghanistan: Senior official says ban on girls’ education against Shari’ah

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai. Pic: Tolo News.

A senior Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan official has called on the country’s leadership to allow girls and women access to education.

Criticising ongoing restrictions, Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai said: “Today, out of a population of 40 million, we are committing injustice against 20 million people.”

Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, girls above grade six have been banned from attending school indefinitely.

Speaking during a madrasah graduation ceremony on Sunday in the southeastern Khost province, Stanikzai added: “Will we not be gathered in the same way on the Day of Judgment?… We have deprived them of all their rights; they have no inheritance rights, no share in determining their husband’s rights, they are sacrificed in forced marriages, they are not allowed to study, they cannot go to mosques, the doors of universities and schools are closed to them, and they are not allowed in religious schools either.”

Stanikzai emphasised that the ban on girls’ education was “not in accordance with Shari’ah,” as reported by Tolo News. He stated: “There is no justification for closing the doors of education to girls.”

Stanikzai added: “We request the leaders of the Islamic Emirate to open the doors of education. There is no acceptable excuse for this, and there will never be. In the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the doors of knowledge were open to both men and women.”

Girls’ education is severely restricted or banned in Afghanistan. Editorial credit: solmaz daryani / Shutterstock.com

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai is a prominent figure within the Taliban, serving as Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs since the group retook control of the country in September 2021.

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His political career began after he left the Afghan Army during the Soviet-Afghan War, where he initially fought against the Soviets. He joined the Taliban movement in 1996, serving in significant roles during their first regime (1996-2001), including as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and later as Deputy Minister of Health.

After the fall of the Taliban government in 2001, Stanikzai became involved in the group’s political activities, particularly after the establishment of the Taliban’s political office in Doha, Qatar, in 2012. He led this office from 2015 to 2020, playing a key role in negotiations both with the Afghan government and in international diplomacy.

After the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, there were vague promises from Taliban leaders suggesting that education for girls would resume, but by September 2021, high schools reopened only for boys, effectively banning girls from public secondary education.

This policy was later extended with the IAE banning women from attending universities in December 2022, and even primary education has been under threat with increasing restrictions.

Despite this, there have been instances where some local schools or madrassas continued education for girls, but these are exceptions rather than the norm and are often subject to local commanders’ discretion.

The IEA has justified these bans by citing the need for a “safe environment” and an education system aligned with their interpretation of Islamic principles.

The United Nations and other international organisations have called repeatedly for the IEA to reverse these bans, highlighting the detrimental effects on Afghan society. But despite these calls, the IEA leadership has showed little inclination to change their stance.

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