Taliban Imposes Ban on Broadcasting Images of Living Beings in Herat

The ongoing closure of schools and universities for girls has left many feeling that their futures are being wasted, with activists calling for the immediate reopening of educational institutions.

International Students' Day, celebrated annually on November 17, honours the rights and achievements of students around the world. The day serves as a reminder of the importance of education and its role in shaping the future of individuals and societies. For millions of Afghan girls, however, it underscores a grim reality, as they remain excluded from education under the Taliban regime.

For over three years, the Taliban has barred girls from attending school beyond grade six, disregarding repeated international calls to reopen educational institutions. Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls' education is entirely restricted.

According to UNESCO, approximately 2.5 million girls in Afghanistan are currently denied access to education. This prohibition not only deprives them of learning opportunities but also takes a severe toll on their mental and emotional well-being. A report by the UN Refugee Agency, published in October, revealed that the restrictions have led to a significant rise in mental health issues, with depression, anxiety, and despair increasing by up to 50% among Afghan women over the past year.

Mohadesa, a young Afghan girl deprived of education, told Afghanistan International: "Imagining that I can no longer study is unacceptable. I feel like I can no longer live. It’s painful to see all your dreams destroyed." Mohadesa, who graduated from high school in 2021 and was admitted to Kabul University to study computer science, had her future plans shattered when the Taliban returned to power.

She emphasised the urgent need for the Taliban to ease restrictions on women and reopen schools and universities for girls, asserting that her generation's potential should not be wasted.

In addition to concerns over the ban itself, there are growing worries about the content of the Taliban's curriculum. Education activist Parasto Hakim has raised alarm over the nature of the education being provided to boys in Taliban-run schools. She warned, "The reopening of schools under the Taliban means providing an education that teaches boys fundamentalism. Taliban schools are not only religious centres but also environments for brainwashing and promoting terrorism."

Hakim also pointed out the broader social consequences of the ban on girls' education, including forced marriages, increased poverty, unemployment, migration, and the absence of skilled professionals in Afghanistan’s future workforce. These issues are compounded by the lack of access to education, which traps many young women in cycles of poverty and vulnerability.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has voiced similar concerns, stressing that the ongoing denial of education for Afghan girls exposes them to heightened risks, including early marriage and long-term social and economic disadvantages.

Speaking at the conclusion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru, Trudeau responded to inquiries regarding Lavey’s detention, stating, "I can assure you that, first and foremost, the Government of Canada is taking this situation very, very seriously." However, he declined to provide further details on the matter.

According to Canadian news outlet CTV News, Lavery was detained at Kabul’s airport on Monday after arriving in Afghanistan. Lavery, who has traveled to Afghanistan multiple times, provides advisory services through his private security firm based in Kabul.

A source informed CTV News that the Taliban had been aware of Lavery’s presence and activities in the country for several years.

Global Affairs Canada, which manages the country's diplomatic and consular affairs, confirmed it is monitoring the situation closely, noting that Canadian officials are aware of "an incident involving a Canadian citizen in Afghanistan."

Lavery was the last Canadian left at Kabul’s airport during the chaotic evacuation in August 2021. During that operation, Lavery helped evacuate over 100 Afghan nationals from the capital.

The movement, which protests the Taliban's oppressive policies toward women, argues that "Taliban lobbyists" are actively working to normalize and legitimize the regime's self-declared government.

In a statement released on Sunday, November 17, the activists questioned the effectiveness of continued international engagement with the Taliban, urging the United Nations (UN) and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to address the risks posed by such diplomacy. "What guarantees exist that increased engagement will not lead to further deterioration of the situation and embolden the Taliban even more?" the statement read.

The Purple Saturdays Movement warned that any recognition of the Taliban’s self-proclaimed government would have catastrophic and irreversible consequences. The group argued that such recognition not only fails to deter human rights abuses in Afghanistan, particularly against women, but also risks strengthening extremist forces that could further destabilize the region and increase international terrorism.

The movement advocates for a policy of isolation and sustained, targeted pressure on the Taliban to ensure that the rights of Afghan women and girls are prioritized. Members of the Purple Saturdays Movement have consistently raised their voices against the Taliban’s restrictions on women's rights, demanding international action to protect freedoms and ensure the education of Afghan women and girls.

According to figures provided by the ministry, the value of Taliban's trade with the Islamic Republic in the past seven months has reached $1.827 billion.

On Saturday, November 16, the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency quoted the group's Ministry of Industry and Commerce as saying that in the past seven months, $30 million in exports and nearly $1.8 billion in imports have been made between Afghanistan and Iran.

Afghanistan is currently the sixth destination for Iran's exports. Official statistics of Iran's customs have shown that in the past year, Iran has recorded the highest amount of its exports regarding trade with Afghanistan.

The Iran-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce announced in May 2024 that the value of the Islamic Republic's non-oil exports to Afghanistan in 2023 was $1.871 billion.

The group said that they returned to Afghanistan "voluntarily" and that none of them were motivated by security concerns.

The organisation declined to provide further details due to "privacy issues”.

The deportations came despite a suspension order. The temporary suspension of the return of asylum seekers means stopping the forced deportation of asylum seekers to countries in crisis situations such as war or humanitarian catastrophe. This order allows asylum seekers to stay in the host country until conditions improve.

For Afghans, the order has been in place since 1994, and only those who have committed crimes are exempt.

Richard Bennett, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights, has called on Canada to grant refugee status to all Afghan women seeking asylum in the country. He stressed that the conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are "very dangerous" and that they are severely repressed under the Taliban's rule.

The deportations have caused concern among some immigration experts who believe that Afghans have not returned voluntarily and have been forced to leave Canada under economic or social pressures.