US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at an event that the Muslim world condemned the Taliban’s restriction on women’s education in Afghanistan.
“When the Taliban enacted restrictive bans on higher education for women, governments from across the Muslim world spoke up to condemn the Taliban’s decision. They argued that the actions were inhumane and contrary to Islamic beliefs,” Blinken said.
“Scholars of Islamic law condemned the Taliban’s actions, too, noting that the Quran gives the right to education to women and men alike,” he added.
At a reception honouring Eid Al-Fitr in Washington, D.C., Blinken made the comments.
Meanwhile, the ban on women’s education by the Taliban has been condemned by several religious scholars in the country and urging the de facto authorities to reopen the schools and universities in the country.
Furthermore, according to religious scholars, rather than being a result of Islamic law, the Taliban leaders’ decision to forbid girls from attending school led to the ban. These leaders hold the view that “women should remain at home.”
“Women have the same right as men in Islam, such as the right to live, the right to work, education, the right to marriage, travel, economic activities, political activities, the right of presence at gatherings and others,” said Falz Hadi Wazin, a scholar of religion and member of the Union of Muslim world’s scholars.
Since the Taliban banned girls from attending secondary education in Afghanistan, it has been around 600 days. Additionally, the group has prohibited Afghan women and girls from pursuing higher education in the county.
Meanwhile, since last December, the de facto authorities banned female aid workers from working with the international community.
Despite overwhelming worldwide condemnation and criticism, the Taliban has not changed its position regarding restricting Afghan women’s employment and education.
