Islam doesn’t deny women Education, so why does the Taliban?

Aadit Saha
Jul 13, 2022
5 min read

Can be viewed on Google Docs here

ree — The education of Afghan girls was on a steady rise until the Taliban struck

“What is our crime for being barred from continuing education?” That’s a question scrawled in marker, posed on a placard held by a young girl in a white headscarf. Speaking to Vogue, American journalist Hafsa Lodi talked about the growing tensions between the Taliban and the girls in Afghanistan who demand access to education. The Taliban government opened schools for boys in Afghanistan last week. Girls however were told to stay at home.

Sixteen years after the US-led military intervention that ousted the Taliban government, more than 2.2 million Afghan girls were unable to attend school as recently as last year, which, according to The World, is 60% of the total children out-of-school in the country. But with the Taliban back in parliament, the progress that had been made toward the goal of getting all girls into school may be heading in reverse. The Taliban justifies its actions in the name of Islam, but there is no mention of not allowing the education of girls in the Quran. Is the Taliban spoiling these girls’ futures justified?

Afghanistan is a country deeply invested in the values of Islam, a country that has always been known to have favored masculinity. In Afghanistan, the income of an average woman is less than 16% than that of an average man, as stated by the World Economic Forum’s 2021 Global Gender Gap Report.

Amongst the highly sexist beliefs of the militant group, there are young girls out there who have to bear the risk of being shot or attacked with acid for just stepping into school. Something we all take for granted is how lucky we are to be living in a country where men and women are treated not based on their gender, but rather on the content of their character. Gender is something that we have no control over, yet little girls are being tormented for just trying to be like any other normal child. According to the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the female literacy rate in Afghanistan is just over 53%, compared with 79% worldwide.

ree — The Taliban is back at power in Afghanistan again after 20 years

The Taliban is near our house. If we go to school, they will kill us. If the government can provide security, we will be very interested in going to school. — Paimanah, 12

Abuse of fundamental human rights occurs all over the world and we all experience it in different ways and contexts. Some make their pain visible and stand up for themselves. Others are too scared to express what they feel for the fear of their lives. These girls are scared too.

For years, Afghan girls have been oppressed by those who claim to do so in the name of God, namely the dreaded militant group Taliban. So is their influence that fathers are scared to send their daughters to school. It doesn’t help to say that Afghanistan is among the poorest countries in the world with 47.3% of the population living below the national poverty line in 2020.

Although there is a twist. Some news sources like Wall Street Journal and Vogue claim that the Taliban has altered and misstated the guiding principles of the Quran to enforce what they believe is right.

Speaking to the Vogue, afghan journalist Nelofer Pazria mentioned that the Quran commands all Muslims, regardless of gender, to read, think, contemplate, and pursue knowledge, and that Prophet Muhammad encouraged education as a religious duty for both males and females”

ree — The Taliban is deceiving the Afghan public in the name of Islam

Thus, how can the Taliban, which declared Afghanistan an “Islamic” state, prevent women from fulfilling what is otherwise seen as their religious duty?

The answer lies in cultural gender roles that patriarchal regimes strive to uphold. According to the men that lead them, women’s purpose in these societies is to grow up chastely, marry, and birth children, while maintaining the household with cooking, cleaning, and other domestic duties. Their schooling, which could open the door to job opportunities and employment outside of the home, threatens this very traditional mindset.

What’s more unsettling is the fact that these actions are going to have a long-term impact on many of the girls there. A lack of access to education will severely impact young Afghan girls’ prospects for empowerment and their future roles in society. British Army Major Damian Bacchoo, who led several humanitarian missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, says “banning women from education and work is a crime against humanity and a severe violation of human rights,” Bacchoo believes action should be taken immediately.

According to Pazria, “the Taliban behavior in Afghanistan will have a catastrophic impact on women’s daily lives, and their survival. It deprives an entire generation from learning, and participating in society.”

ree — These girls are facing a severe violation of human rights

But the world has progressed. The Taliban’s leaders are well aware that the world’s eyes are on them, particularly watchful of their handling of women’s rights. Facing intense scrutiny from the international community, it’s likely that the Taliban will soon allow young women to return to school in Afghanistan. What’s critical, however, is their sincerity in welcoming their students and teachers back to the classrooms, without threat or disrespect, but rather with the compassion and inclusivity that their religion preaches.

Bacchoo advises these girls to keep their heads up as “it should not be for the girls of Afghanistan to have the responsibility to deal with this situation.” He believes they should “have courage and faith in the idea that one day things will be better for them and their children.”

The future for these young girls looks uncertain. But if we, the world, take action as one and enforce their right to education, they can have a chance to build a greater future for themselves. And who knows? They might even turn out to be the next Elon Musk or the new Steve Jobs, or a completely authentic game-changer, who brings about greatness like never before.

As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “it's easy to stand in the crowd but it takes courage to stand alone”. These girls have courage, probably more than most of us do. Let’s give them a chance, shall we?