KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban government’s higher education minister on Thursday defended his decision to ban women from universities — a decree that sparked a global backlash.
Discussing the issue for the first time in public, Nida Mohammad Nadim said the ban issued earlier this week was necessary to prevent gender mixing in universities and because he believes some subjects taught violate the principles of Islam. He said the ban was in place until further notice.
In an interview on Afghan television, Nadim pushed back against widespread international condemnation, including from Muslim-majority countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar. Nadim said foreigners should stop interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.
Earlier on Thursday, foreign ministers from the G7 group of states urged the Taliban to reverse the ban, warning that “gender-based persecution can constitute a crime against humanity”. Ministers warned after a virtual meeting that “Taliban policies aimed at erasing women from public life will have consequences for how our countries engage with the Taliban.” The G7 group includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union.
Nadim said universities would be closed to women for now, but the ban could be reviewed later.
A former provincial governor, police chief and military commander, Nadim was appointed minister in October by the Taliban’s supreme leader and had earlier pledged to eradicate secular schooling. Nadim opposes female education, saying it goes against Islamic and Afghan values.
In Afghanistan, there has been some national opposition to the university ban, including statements condemning several Afghan cricketers. Cricket is a hugely popular sport in Afghanistan, and players have hundreds of thousands of social media followers.
Although it initially promised a more moderate rule respecting the rights of women and minorities, the Taliban has largely implemented its interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, since taking power in August 2021.
They banned girls from middle school and high school, barred women from most fields of employment, and ordered them to wear head-to-toe clothing in public. Women are also banned from parks and gymnasiums. At the same time, Afghan society, although largely traditional, has increasingly embraced the education of girls and women over the past two decades.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday that the ban was “neither Islamic nor humane”.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Yemeni counterpart, Cavusoglu called on the Taliban to reverse their decision.
What’s wrong with educating women? What harm is it doing to Afghanistan? said Cavusoglu. Is there an Islamic explanation? On the contrary, our religion, Islam, is not against education, on the contrary, it encourages education and science.
Saudi Arabia, which until 2019 applied sweeping restrictions on travel, employment and other crucial aspects of their daily lives, including driving, has also urged the Taliban to change course.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry has expressed “astonishment and regret” at the refusal of Afghan women to pursue university education. In a statement released late Wednesday, the ministry said the decision was “astonishing in all Islamic countries.”
Earlier, Qatar, which has engaged with the Taliban authorities, also condemned the decision.
In the capital of Kabul, around two dozen women marched through the streets on Thursday, chanting in Dari for freedom and equality. “All or nothing. Have no fear. We are together,” they cheered.
In video obtained by The Associated Press, a woman said Taliban security forces used violence to disperse the group.
“The girls were beaten and whipped,” she said. “They also brought female soldiers with them, whipping the girls. We fled, girls were arrested. I don’t know what will happen.
Several Afghan cricketers have called for the ban to be lifted.
Player Rahmanullah Garbaz said in a tweet that every day of education is a day spent in the country’s future.
Another cricketer, Rashid Khan, tweeted that women are the foundation of society. “A society that leaves its children in the hands of ignorant and illiterate women cannot expect its members to serve and work hard,” he wrote.
Another demonstration in support of female university students took place at Nangarhar Medical University. Local media reported that the male students walked out in solidarity and refused to sit for exams until women’s access to university was restored.
Girls have been banned from school beyond grade six since the return of the Taliban.
In northeastern Takhar province, teenage girls said the Taliban kicked them out of a private training center on Thursday and told them they were no longer allowed to study. A student, Zuhal, 15, said the girls were beaten.
Another, Maryam, 19, said tearfully: “This training center was our hope. What can these girls do? They were hopeful and came here to learn. It’s really a pity. (The Taliban) have taken all our hopes. They closed schools, universities and the training center, which was very small.
___
Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser contributed from Ankara, Turkey.
0 Comments