Mohammad Nabi Omari, the Taliban’s Deputy Minister of Interior, was moved to tears while speaking about the group’s strict restrictions on girls’ education, imposed by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
In a video widely circulated on social media, Omari is seen breaking down during a speech on the closure of girls’ schools. He urged for their reopening, stating: “All I know is that even if [girls’ education] is not a religious obligation or tradition, it is at least permissible.” Shortly after making this remark, he became visibly emotional.
A local source in Khost province told Afghanistan International that Omari delivered the speech on Monday, 27 January, at a gathering in the Aisha Siddiqa girls’ school in the province.
During his address, Omari pleaded: “May God guide us. Religious studies are allowed, so modern sciences should also be permitted.” He warned that the Taliban’s extreme policies could result in future generations being “Muslim in name only.”
The video surfaced just days after Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister, was forced to flee Afghanistan following his public condemnation of the school closures.
According to sources, after Stanikzai spoke out against the suppression of the rights of 20 million Afghans, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada ordered his arrest in Kandahar. However, before he could be detained, he managed to escape to the United Arab Emirates with the assistance of Taliban Defence Minister.
