Malala Yousafzai: Simply put, the Taliban in Afghanistan do not see women as human beings

[Social Media]

 

Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and advocate for girls’ education, has strongly criticized the Taliban government in Afghanistan, accusing them of fundamentally disregarding the humanity of women and girls. Speaking at an international summit on girls’ education in Islamic countries, hosted in Islamabad by Pakistan, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Muslim World League, Ms. Yousafzai urged Muslim leaders to challenge the Taliban’s oppressive policies.  

 

“Simply put, the Taliban in Afghanistan do not see women as human beings,” she stated. She emphasized that the Taliban’s actions, which include barring women and girls from accessing education and work, are antithetical to Islamic teachings. “There is nothing Islamic about the Taliban's policies,” she declared.  

 

At the age of 15, Ms. Yousafzai survived a near-fatal attack by a Pakistan Taliban gunman who targeted her for advocating girls’ education. Now 27, she expressed joy at being back in her homeland, Pakistan, where the summit was held. “I am overwhelmed and happy to be back in my home country,” she said. Since the 2012 attack, she has only returned to Pakistan a few times, making her first visit in 2018.  

 

During her address, she accused the Taliban of creating “a system of gender apartheid” in Afghanistan, where women and girls are systematically punished for defying restrictive laws. “The Taliban are punishing women and girls who dare to break their obscure laws by beating them up, detaining them, and harming them,” she said. She further condemned the Taliban’s justifications, saying, “They cloak their crimes in cultural and religious justification but actually go against everything our faith stands for.”  

 

The Taliban government did not respond to a BBC request for comment regarding Ms. Yousafzai’s statements. In the past, they have claimed to respect women’s rights as defined by their interpretation of Afghan culture and Islamic law. Despite being invited to the summit, the Taliban leaders did not attend.  

 

Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, their government has not been formally recognized by any foreign state. Western governments have repeatedly criticized their policies that restrict women’s rights, including barring girls from secondary and higher education.

 

Afghanistan now stands as the only country in the world where girls are entirely banned from education beyond grade six. “Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls are completely banned from education beyond grade six,” Ms. Yousafzai reiterated.  

 

The Taliban has promised to reopen schools for girls once certain conditions, such as aligning curricula with their interpretation of Islam, are met. However, these promises remain unfulfilled. In December, the Taliban further restricted women’s access to education by banning them from training as midwives and nurses, closing off their last opportunities for higher education.  

 

Ms. Yousafzai also highlighted the broader risks to girls’ education worldwide, mentioning how crises in countries such as Afghanistan, Yemen, and Sudan have stolen the future of countless girls. She criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza, stating they had “decimated the entire education system.”  

She concluded with a plea for collective action: “We must call out the worst violations of girls’ rights to education. The futures of millions of girls are at risk, and their entire potential is being stolen.”  

 

Based on a report by BBC 2024-01-14

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

50 minutes ago, Social Media said:

“Simply put, the Taliban in Afghanistan do not see women as human beings,” she stated.

Did she just work that out?

It's been obvious to me since the taliban ruled Afghanistan first time.

[thaibeachlovers]

51 minutes ago, Social Media said:

Ms. Yousafzai also highlighted the broader risks to girls’ education worldwide, mentioning how crises in countries such as Afghanistan, Yemen, and Sudan have stolen the future of countless girls. She criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza, stating they had “decimated the entire education system.”  

She concluded with a plea for collective action: “We must call out the worst violations of girls’ rights to education. The futures of millions of girls are at risk, and their entire potential is being stolen.”  

Does she have any solutions as to how that might happen? I know one thing for sure, the west is not going to war so girls can have education.

[Purdey]

Perhaps when senior Taliban find out there are insufficient medical staff for their critical operations, they might rethink this stupid strategy.

[Justanotherone]

nice all those trillions wasted and lives lost... poppy growing strong again... thought that was haram

 

unless they sell to the evil west

[Kinok Farang]

This can't be true because Western Feminists would speak out about this atrocity.

Wouldn't they?

[attento]

6 hours ago, Justanotherone said:

nice all those trillions wasted and lives lost... poppy growing strong again... thought that was haram

 

unless they sell to the evil west

Sellers can only sell what people want to buy.   Why do so many westerners support this evil trade ?

[thaibeachlovers]

13 hours ago, Kinok Farang said:

This can't be true because Western Feminists would speak out about this atrocity.

Wouldn't they?

They have been suspiciously quiet about it, haven't they?

[Bkk Brian]

6 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

They have been suspiciously quiet about it, haven't they?

Or you haven't seen it on Al Jazeera

[WDSmart]

I abhor the way the Taliban men are described as treating their women, but before we go too far in encouraging hatred of them, remember that it was less than five hundred years ago that we (the West) treated our women in much the same way.