Not Necessary To Give Reason for Ban on Girls’ Education To Public, Says Taliban Official

Yunus Rashid, the Taliban’s Deputy Minister of Information and Culture, said that the situation for the education of women and girls in Afghanistan is not according to Sharia laws.

Rashid said that the Taliban authorities have reasons for preventing Afghan girls and women from pursuing education, but they do not think it is necessary to convey the reasons to the citizens of Afghanistan and the media.

He said that they can only talk about the reasons for depriving Afghans girls and women from their right to education privately.

After two years of closing schools and universities to girls and women, Rashid claimed that the ban was for a "limited” time.

Afghanistan is the only country in the world where the education of women and girls is prevented.

On Tuesday, Rashid was speaking to the students of Paktia University where he said that students have repeatedly asked him about the closure of schools and universities to women and girls. But he emphasised that the Taliban does not want to talk openly about the reasons for closing schools.

He did not explain why Taliban officials are reluctant to explain their views on women's education. Previously, to justify the ban imposed on Afghan girls and women’s higher education, the Minister of Higher Education of the Taliban, said that the female students did not follow the Taliban's regulations regarding clothing and gender segregation.