Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the Taliban's deputy foreign minister, has made a public appeal to the group's leadership to open schools for girls. His statement attracted attention as it was one of the most sharply critical comments by a representative of the regime. This comes in the context of the growing international isolation of the Taliban government, "Reuters" and News.bg report.
In a speech broadcast over the weekend by the local Tolo TV channel, Stanekzai stressed that restrictions on women's education are not in line with the principles of Islamic Sharia. He recalled that during the time of the Prophet Muhammad, the doors of knowledge were open to both men and women. "We ask the leaders of the Islamic Emirate to open the doors of education," he said.
Education and Women's Rights
Stanekzai stressed that the ongoing ban on schools and universities for girls and women is unjust and discriminates against the estimated 20 million women in Afghanistan. His comments raise questions about equality and the right to education under Taliban rule, which continues to face sharp international criticism.
In 2022, the Taliban failed to fulfill their promise to open high schools for girls and instead took strict measures, closing educational institutions for women, including universities. This policy was imposed by the Taliban's supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, despite internal contradictions within the group itself.
International reaction and the future of the regime
The Taliban's policy towards women has been condemned by the international community, including leading Islamic scholars. They have said that the restrictions on the right to education contradict basic principles of Islam. Foreign diplomats have also said that the Taliban's recognition by the international community is impossible until there is a significant change in their policy towards women's rights.
The spokesman for the Taliban administration in Kandahar, Akhundzada's main base, did not comment on Stanekzai's statement, leaving the question without an official answer.