Malala Yousafzai has called on Muslim leaders to confront the Taliban’s oppressive regime in Afghanistan, particularly its discriminatory policies against girls and women. Speaking at an international summit focused on girls’ education within Islamic countries, Yousafzai emphasized that the Taliban fails to recognize women as human beings.
“There’s nothing Islamic about the Taliban’s actions,” Yousafzai asserted, highlighting their refusal to allow girls and women access to education and employment opportunities. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who survived an assassination attempt at the age of 15 for advocating girls’ education, expressed her elation at returning to Pakistan for the first time in years.
During her address in Islamabad, she denounced the Taliban government for establishing what she described as a “system of gender apartheid.” Yousafzai condemned the regime’s increasing violence against women and girls who oppose their extreme laws, stating they are subjected to physical harm and detainment.
Furthermore, she criticized the Taliban for using cultural and religious pretexts to justify their oppressive actions, arguing that such actions contradict the core principles of faith. In light of her remarks, the Taliban government did not respond to requests for comment, although they have previously maintained that their interpretation of Afghan culture and Islamic law aligns with respecting women’s rights.
Despite being invited to the summit hosted by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Taliban leaders boycotted the event. The conference featured numerous ministers and scholars from Muslim-majority nations advocating for the essential rights of girls to receive an education.
The Taliban’s hold on Afghanistan since regaining power in 2021 remains contentious, as no foreign government has officially recognized its administration. Western nations continue to demand changes to the group’s policies that limit women’s rights.
Currently, Afghanistan stands alone as the only nation where girls are entirely barred from secondary and higher education, leaving approximately 1.5 million girls without access to schooling. “Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls are completely banned from education beyond grade six,” Yousafzai lamented.
The Taliban has claimed girls will be allowed back in school once certain criteria are met, including the introduction of an “Islamic” curriculum, but this promise has not materialized. Additionally, the prohibition on women training as midwives and nurses has effectively stripped them of their last educational opportunities.
Yousafzai also stressed that challenges to girls’ education extend beyond Afghanistan, citing the destruction of the education system in Gaza. She urged attendees to address severe violations of girls’ educational rights, emphasizing that ongoing crises in countries like Afghanistan, Yemen, and Sudan threaten the future of girls everywhere.
