Taliban Prevent Women’s Education… Crimes that Perpetuate Extremism and Terrorism in Afghanistan
The Taliban movement continues its crimes by eroding women’s rights, which is not new since it came to power in Afghanistan. This applies to all similar experiences of political Islam, where women are classified as minorities and do not enjoy any civil or citizenship rights. The prevailing vision remains one of suspicion and insecurity, governing the unequal relationship between the two sides. Consequently, laws are enacted that impose the hijab on women, prohibit them from engaging in any political or social activities, as well as interacting with men, and hinder or rather obstruct their educational path. All these aggressive practices aim to weaken women’s will and subject them to the influence and control of religious authorities.
No rights for women under the Taliban
Media reports have revealed that the situation of women in Afghanistan today, with the return of the new rulers of Kabul to power, is no different from what it was under their control in the late 1990s. The same persecution is being practiced against women at all levels, especially regarding freedoms, education, and employment, as well as civil and constitutional rights. Although the 1964 constitution recognized gender equality, which contributed to the advancement of women’s social status and enhanced their political and economic roles, the reality reveals the erosion of various acquired rights for women.
Taliban violations
Recently, the Taliban movement informed all civil organizations to terminate the contracts of their female employees. At the end of the same year, they implemented their decision to prevent girls from attending Afghan universities “until further notice.” The extremist movement also banned girls from visiting parks, gardens, sports halls, and public pools.
Nada Mohammad Nadeem, the Minister of Higher Education in the Taliban, stated, “I inform you all of the implementation of the mentioned order to halt the education of females until further notice.” In response to international condemnation of the discriminatory policies of the Taliban, Mohammad Nadeem stated, “Even if they drop an atomic bomb on us, we will not back down” from the decision to ban women from higher education. He added, “We are ready to face sanctions imposed by the international community.”
International condemnation
At the beginning of the year, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women announced that 86% of humanitarian aid organizations led by or focused on women in Afghanistan had either ceased operations or significantly reduced their activities. The organization stated on its verified Twitter page, “After a week of the ban imposed on women employees of NGOs in Afghanistan, 151 humanitarian aid organizations, mostly led by or focused on women, were asked about the impact of the ban on their ability to provide services, and it was found that the ban had severe consequences.”
Terrorist ideology
Hisham El-Najjar, a political researcher specializing in terrorist groups, says that the Taliban’s decisions, which are increasingly violent against women (such as travel bans without a male companion, enforced veiling, banning visits to parks, gardens, sports halls, and public pools, and preventing women from taking many government jobs and higher education), are the same crimes and violations committed by ISIS and terrorist groups.
He added that the Taliban’s war on women is a crime against humanity, manifested in gender-based persecution in Afghanistan, which is the same ideology employed by extremist and terrorist groups that use means to restrict women’s freedoms.
