KABUL, Afghanistan – The Human Rights Watch (HRW), including a number of students and teachers, said their expectations from the recent national assembly of Afghan clerics were not met, according to sources, as there was no specific mention of girls’ education and their rights in the country.
High schools for girls remain closed for over nine months now, even after the cleric gathering where they issued a resolution on several hot topics in the country – except women’s right and their right to schooling.
Recent gathering of clerics was expected to determine the reopening of the girl’s schools but the resolution did not refer to the topic, leaving majority of the women in disappointment.
“Our wish from the Loya Jirga was to reopen the school but this didn’t happen,” said a local teacher Shogofa, as TOLOnews quoted. “We wanted them to talk about the schools.”
“For how long will we be deprived of our education,” she questioned in disappointment? Will they respond to our questions about whether we have the right to study or not? We have been in an uncertain fate for a long time.”
Expressing frustration and an uncertain future for girls in Afghanistan, another Kabul teacher Momina said “Afghan girls become hopeless as the fate of their schools was not discussed and this is bad news for Afghan girls.”
_____________
KEEP READING:
- Loya Jirga in Kabul Triggers Hope, Criticism: a Paradox
- Gov’t ‘Feels’ Obliged to Listen to Clerics View in National Assembly Mujahid
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Watch said it is not surprising the gathering did not bear any fruit, concerning girls’ education in Afghanistan, which in fact was to be the “real thing” during the grand national assembly.
This is not “surprising that the Taliban’s grand meeting didn’t lead to any kind of breakthrough on a real thing — girls’ secondary school,” said Heather Barr, Associate director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, as local media reported.
But the Islamic Emirate officials in their defend said based on the final resolution, the decision was made about religious and modern educational system for girls in the country.
“The Islamic Emirate respects the wishes and views of the Islamic clerics. The Islamic Emirate will take serious steps in this regard,” said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.
According to sources, only two participant reflected on reopening of girls’ school, which apparently was not loud enough to bear fruit during the national grand assembly.
At least 3,000 people across Afghanistan were reportedly invited to the gathering of Islamic clerics, which was held at the Loya Jirga Hall on Thursday through the weekend in Kabul.
Three representatives, mostly clerics, from each village were invited, according to sources, saying the meeting would last for three days, focused on various issues in Afghanistan.
Kabul Polytechnic University – where the gathering was held – had dismissed students for a period of eight days.
