Nobel Peace Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai He on Sunday described the state of women’s rights in Afghanistan as “gender discrimination” and urged Muslim leaders to speak out against the repressive policies of the Taliban government. Education of women and girls.
Addressing a summit organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Muslim World League in Islamabad on advancing girls’ education in Islamic countries, he said, “Simply put, the Taliban in Afghanistan are treating women as human beings. but do not see.”
The Pakistani educationist added that there was “nothing Islamic” about it. Government policiesIn which teenage girls are banned from going to school beyond sixth grade and women from going to university.
Yousafzai, 27, also urged the audience, which included dozens of ministers and scholars from Muslim countries, to “openly challenge and condemn” the Taliban by recognizing gender discrimination as a crime against humanity under international criminal law. do
He said that the future of a whole generation of girls in Afghanistan will be taken away. As Muslim leaders, now is the time to speak up, use your power.
Afghanistan is the only country in the world that prevents women and girls – about 1.5 million Afghans – from accessing secondary and higher education.
Since it returned to power in 2021, the Taliban have Women and girls were systematically taken away. For their fundamental rights by passing laws Restrict access For education, work and freedom of movement and speech.
In December, it banned women from training as midwives and nurses, effectively ending women’s access to further education and putting the lives of women and children at risk.
Earlier this month, it passed another order barring residential buildings from having windows where women can be seen while at home.
Afghan representatives did not attend the summit.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid declined to comment, telling NBC News, “We don’t want to comment on Malala Yousafzai’s remarks about us.”
The Taliban has previously said it will use Afghan culture and its interpretation of Islamic law, known as Sharia, to guide its policies on women’s rights.
Because of this, no foreign government has officially recognized the Taliban. Ban stance on women, while the United Nations He repeatedly condemned the government. And said its oppressive conditions are akin to “gender and race” in the country.
In September 2023, international legal expert and civil society representative Karima Benone told the United Nations Security Council “Efforts that have been made since the Taliban came to power are not working,” urges the United Nations and the international community to take all available steps to persuade the Taliban to change course.
He added that one of the most effective ways to do this would be to enshrine the crime in international law.