December 24, 2021

Afghan women need global support for education rights

topic:	Child rights
located:	Afghanistan, Pakistan
editor:	Shadi Khan Saif

As a blatant way of seeking advances for his own country, the Pakistani premier Imran Khan’s noxious and stereotyped remarks applauding the ban on female education in Afghanistan calls for worldwide condemnation. 

Addressing the extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Islamabad last week, Khan, in a way, glorified the Taliban’s curbs on female education in Afghanistan as an accepted conservative approach in Pashtun culture, which shows no less than blatant ignorance of the values and history of Afghan society.  

“If we are not sensitive to the cultural norms of [Afghan] people, even with stipends people in Afghanistan won’t send their girls to school,” said the Pakistani premier, adding: “If we are sensitive to their cultural norm, without stipends they will send their girls to school. When we are talking about human rights and women rights, we have to be sensitive about this.”

This is cunningly bizarre from a leader of the country that is blamed for bringing the Taliban to power, and therefore of not only halting the developments and enlightenment of the country, but also reversing the social advancements, including women and girls’ rights.

Pakistan now seeks to channel all financial and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan through its own economic system in a clear bid for gains, but that does not call for tarnishing and ignoring the history and culture of a nation in dire straits.

The Afghans, or the Pashtuns for that matter, have long hailed the education of children as a revered duty, as shown by the many girls’ schools and colleges in Kabul from nearly a century ago, the Bacha Khan’s ‘Khudai Khidmatgars’ (Servants of God) of the 20th Century, the Nobel laureate Malala Yosufzai, and many other examples.

True, a segment of this society, just like in any other societies, has been opposed to these values of equal rights and liberties; but promoting, defending and glorifying this opinion, as Imran Khan has done, is nothing less than a crime against the whole of humanity.

“I nearly lost my life fighting against the Taliban's ban on girls’ education,” Malala Yousafzai said on Twitter in one of many condemnation statements by the community members. “Thousands of Pashtoon activists and notables lost their lives when they raised their voices against the Taliban’s horrors and millions became refugees. We represent Pashtoons - not the Taliban.” 

It has been more than 100 days since girls above grade six have not been allowed to return to school in most of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan needs the world’s support in averting the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the ego-driven policies of the Taliban and the US, which does not grant permission to the Pakistani leader, or anyone else, to start distorting its history and culture to oppress women and girls.

Photo by Feliphe Schiarolli

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