Taliban forces recently stopped around 100 Afghan girls from going abroad to pursue their higher education at the University of Dubai. Since the takeover in 2021, the Taliban regime has banned or restricted education for girls beyond class six in Afghanistan.
The state of education is as bad as that of human rights, economy, culture, safety, medicine, etc. but the worst sufferers in these arrangements are women, irrespective of their class and age. Taliban leaders claim to establish ‘Islamic Rule” in Afghanistan. In their opinion, it is a sin for a woman to step out of the house to get education or work in a public place.
Thus, banning “education and work of women” is an integral part of their “Islamic” agenda. Women are expected to play their traditional role of serving the family. Yet, there are about 57 other Islamic nations that have not taken the extreme step of banning “girls’ education” the way Taliban forces have done it in the name of Islam.
The other concern of the Taliban regime is the co-educational system and women taking jobs in the public sector as the same results in interaction with the opposite sex which is again a sin in the eyes of the regime. The ban on women in public workplaces was imposed immediately and the ban on education of girls came later.
Actions of radical organisations and Islamophobic propaganda made people in general see Islam as a radical religion which discriminates with women in the sphere of ownership, marriage, succession and divorce as compared to others. It is nothing but a case of misinterpretation and misunderstanding at least in respect of “education”. It is pertinent to go through a few verses from Islamic textbooks like Hadith.
Surah Iqra Chapter No.96 Verse 1- 5 of the Holy Quran says, “read, recite proclaim in the name of the Lord who created the men from something which clings a leech like substance. Read in the name of the Lord whose most bountiful who taught men the use of the pen who taught men that which he did not know the first guidance given by Allah Subhan Allah”. It reads equivocally for men and women.
In Sunan Ibn Maajah Vol.1 of Hadith 224, The Prophet said: “It is obligatory on every Muslim Man or Woman to acquire knowledge”. Even during the early period of Islam, there were many women scholars including the wife of Prophet Mohammad, Aishah Bint Abi Bakr. She had great knowledge of the Quran, literature, law, mathematics, medicine, poetry, etc. She even taught many Scholars after the demise of the Prophet.
It is also claimed that 2,210 Hadith are reported only on the deemed authority of Aaishah. Another reference goes to Jami At-Tirmidhi Hadith No.3883. It narrated Abu Musa saying: “Never was a Hadith unclear to us – the Companions of the Messenger of Allah – and we asked Aishah, except that we found some knowledge concerning it with her.”
As per Abu Musa many people used to discuss the complicated issues related to succession with Aishah after the death of the Prophet due to her expertise in the matter. Sahih Bukhari Vol.1 Hadith No.101 mentions the story of women requesting the Prophet to fix a day for teaching or educating them.
The Prophet accepted their request and used to especially dedicate time to educate women. Islamic textbooks/authorities are full of references where education of women is not considered a “sin” but an organisation claiming itself to be the protector of Islam and establishing an Islamic state has banned girls’ education without referring to any strictures. Apart from the verses, the views of Islamic scholars also suggest that there is a rich history of education for women in Islam and there were many women scholars who contributed in the field of education.
A YouTuber, Ramsha Sultan, shares that an Arab lady namely Fatimi Al Fihri built the first Qarawiyyin mosque and university in Morocco in 857-859 AD and it was open to students from all castes, religions and genders. Dr. Israr Ahmed, a well-known scholar and former President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind believes that even though there is no “limit” for women’s education in Islam, women should be allowed to pursue education related to Islam, Home-economics, Child Psychology and Medicine but no other professions which are dominated by men as their primary role is to look after the family.
Malala Yousafzai, a victim and survivor of Taliban violence, in her speech before the Oxford Union expressed that “terrorists have misused the name of Islam for their own personal benefits.” She added that these extremist groups fear the change that education will bring in society. Dr. Shabir Ally, a famous Canadian Islamic Preacher and Apologist in his interview expressed his views on the ban on education of girls by Taliban as something not related to Islam and quite impractical in modern times.
He spoke about the wife of Prophet Muhammad, Aishah, who was the prime example of women leaders in the Prophet’s time. The ban imposed by Taliban forces in the name of Islam or to bring Islamic rule is not only impractical, unlawful, illogical but also un-Islamic as it attacks the very basic tenets of Islam and aims at subjugation of women.
The ban on education of women violates the human rights of women in Afghanistan and will affect the progress of the nation. Stopping girls who wish to leave the country and pursue education in other countries leads to a situation where Afghan women are being held hostage in their own nation. In several interviews the Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid mentioned that their regime is working on providing a safe environment for women education. The ban on secondary and higher education of girls with immediate effect without providing any alternative seems unreasonable and arbitrary.
This will deprive many girls from availing the opportunities related to education and jobs both in Afghanistan and in other countries. The Taliban regime is also ensuring that women receive no aid/support from the outside world. They are blocking all the routes through which Afghani women can represent their situation and challenge the authority of the regime.
Even though Afghan women have time and again protested against the oppressive policies of the Taliban, they have been unable to overcome the situation. There is a need for intervention of the UN along with developed and developing nations who are providing humanitarian relief (including India) to the Taliban regime. The world’s silence will deprive women in Afghanistan of their rights and liberties and will only add to their struggle to lead a respectable life.
(The writer is a practising High Court advocate.)