Malala Yousafzai Writes Letter To The Taliban For Resumption Of Schools For Girls

Malala Yousafzai Writes Letter To The Taliban For Resumption Of Schools For Girls

Those well-versed in world news would know about the problematic conditions of the people residing in Afghanistan. And this condition is due to the fact that the Taliban have once again taken over the country. Since their rise to power, they have come up with a lot of bans and laws that are hindering the progress of the country, but the worst of it is faced by Afghan women. Things got worse for young Afghan girls when the Taliban government permitted schools to open for boys but not for the girls. And now, activist Malala Yousafzai has written an open letter to them asking them to reverse the ban on girls’ education.

On October 17, 2021, Malala Yousafzai and other activists came together and published an open letter where they called on the Taliban government to give permission for the resumption of schools for girls in Afghanistan. 

The letter which was written by activists, including Malala Yousafzai, states, “To the Taliban authorities… Reverse the de facto ban on girls’ education and reopen girls’ secondary schools immediately.” This statement was in response to the fact that the Taliban ministry of education permitted schools to reopen for boys from September 18 but they haven’t given permission for schooling for girls.

As per the reports, Malala Yousafzai further addressed the leaders of Muslim countries and G20 Nations and wrote, “Afghanistan is now the only country in the world that forbids girls’ education. Leaders everywhere must take urgent, decisive action to get every Afghan girl back in school… To the leaders of Muslim countries, religion does not justify preventing girls from going to school. Make this clear to Taliban leaders by issuing public statements on the Islamic imperative for girls’ complete education.”

Also Read: Malala Yousafzai Expresses Concern As Taliban Controls Afghanistan

According to the Hindustan Times, the Human Rights Watch further accused the Taliban of causing “widespread and serious human rights violations against women and girls”  in the city of Herat, Afghanistan. The non-governmental organization has also stated that since the time the Taliban took over Herat on the August 12, they have instilled fear and apprehension in women of the country. And they have done this with a mandatory dress code, limiting their mobility, and have restricted access to employment and education. 

Aligning with what Malala Yousafzai and other activists have spoken about in their open letter, the women of Herat that were interviewed by Human Rights Watch have affirmed their claims. In fact, an Afghan scholar associated said, “For the women in Herat we interviewed, life as they knew it had vanished overnight, and they were left hiding indoors, waiting in fear to see whether the Taliban would come for them… for these women, the best-case scenario is to be unharmed but forced to live a drastically diminished existence. The worst-case scenario is to be arrested or attacked for their past achievements or for their fight to keep their hard-earned rights.” 

Also Read: Malala Shares Photo Of Her 2012 Gunshot Wound From Taliban, Says Doctors Still Repairing Damage

It truly is heartbreaking to watch and hear about the news coming out of Afghanistan ever since the Taliban has taken over. But it makes me happy to see that activists like Malala Yousafzai are fully invested in ensuring the safety and security of Afghan women, as much as they can. But I also believe that it is not just in the hands of these activists to make a difference. Leaders from around the world need to come together to save Afghanistan and its people before it gets too late.

From Banning Co-ed Schools For Women To A Ban On Music, The Taliban Imposes Stifling New Rules In Afghanistan

Ritu Sanghvi

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