Taliban reinforces rule, banning Afghan girls to continue secondary education

KABUL, Afghanistan – The Taliban went back on their promise to allow young girls to resume their education last Wednesday, when thousands of them showed up in front of the school gates in their uniform and school bags.

“Some of my classmates began weeping,” said Sakina Jafari, an 18-year-old who hoped to resume her year 11 classes. “We were so excited to return. And now we don’t know what will happen to us.”

Since Afghanistan’s new rulers has swept to power in August, school has been reopened for boys and for girls up to the 6th grade. Women were allowed to attend college, under isolation from male students and a strict dress code. However, secondary school remained off-limits for the girls.

Source: npr.org

Taliban officials insist that they have not reneged on their decision, that it is simply an issue of deciding on a proper school uniform for the girls.

“There is no issue of banning girls from schools,” said Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban’s permanent ambassador-designate to the United Nations.” It is only a technical issue of deciding on a form of school uniform for girls. We hope the uniform issue is resolved and finalized as soon as possible.”

The sentiment was shared by a Kabul teacher, stating that her students entered the classroom upset and distressed. They insisted that they were already wearing modest clothes – loose shirts, pants, and a headscarf – but were told to leave.

The Taliban’s backpedaling has highlighted what could be an internal debate in their decision whether girls should attend high school at all.

Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and women’s education activist, said that she was disappointed.

Source: bbc.com

“I had one hope for today: that Afghan girls walking to school would not be sent back home. But the Taliban did not keep their promise. They will keep finding excuses to stop girls from learning – because they are afraid of educated girls and empowered women,” she said.

This was echoed by Heather Barr of Human Rights Watch, who follows on women’s rights in Afghanistan, stated the latest news “is absolutely devastating.”

She feared that this may signal a repeat of 1996 to 2001 when the Taliban did not allow girls to attend school during their rule.