Condemning the Taliban’s decision to prohibit girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade, United States ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the decision jeopardizes Afghanistan’s future and its role in the international community.

“This decision to deny education to women and girls reneges a long-standing pledge. The Taliban’s refusal to educate its citizens, including women and girls, jeopardizes Afghanistan’s future and its role in the international community,” Thomas-Greenfield tweeted. US State Department’s special representative for Afghan women, Rina Amiri, also condemned the decision as she said that the move was not incidental.

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“We now know today’s decision to stop girls over grade 6 from returning to school was not incidental. It was made by Taliban leadership and is a betrayal of Afghan families. Let’s be clear about several things. One, there is nothing Islamic about denying girls an education. One need only look at other Muslim-majority countries to see that. Two, there is nothing Afghan about denying girls an education. Surveys show widespread support among the Afghan people for girls’ education,” she tweeted.

Notably, as the new school year begins in Afghanistan, the Taliban has announced that the boys can continue their education normally, however, the doors of the schools will be closed to girls beyond the sixth grade, reported local media.

“The Ministry of Education once again assures our nation that it is fully committed to providing the educational rights of all our compatriots. In order to generalize and standardize the quality of education …” Tolo News quoted Aziz Ahmad Rayan, director of publications and communications at the Taliban Ministry of Education.

Rayan added that the schools for the girls beyond grade six will remain closed for now and the final decision on the same will be made by Taliban leadership.

Earlier, after the reports regarding this decision, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) had also condemned the Taliban’s move as it tweeted, “The UN in Afghanistan deplores today’s reported announcement by the Taliban that they are further extending their indefinite ban on female students above the 6th grade being permitted to return school.”

Teenage girls across Afghanistan were supposed to return to schools after being banned by the Islamic outfit earlier. Since taking over power in August last year, the Taliban have rolled back women’s rights in virtually every area, including crushing women’s freedom of movement.

According to HRW, women and girls are blocked from accessing health care as well. Reports suggest that women and girls facing violence have no escape route.

The majority of countries have refused to formally recognise the Taliban amid worries over their treatment of girls and women and other human rights issues.