Islamic States Also Turn Away from Taliban's Ban on Female University Students' Education

Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar Join Criticism of Taliban
Women-Led Protest Takes Place in Kabul, Afghanistan's Capital

On the 21st (local time), women stood in front of the gate of a university in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, as armed guards blocked their entry. Photo by AFP, Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Even Islamic countries have opposed the Afghan Taliban regime's ban on female students' university education.

On the 22nd (local time), the Associated Press reported that T?rkiye (Turkey) and Saudi Arabia, where the majority of the population are Muslims, criticized the Afghan Taliban regime's ban on female students' university education.

On the same day, Mevl?t ?avu?o?lu, T?rkiye's Foreign Minister, said, "The ban on female university students' education is neither Islamic nor humane," and requested the Taliban to revoke the ban on female students' education.

He expressed this position at a joint press conference with the Yemeni Foreign Minister, asking, "How does women's education harm Afghanistan?" He added, "Our religion, Islam, does not oppose education but rather encourages education and science."

Saudi Arabia, which has Islam as its state religion and has historically maintained a strict conservative stance, also urged the Taliban to change their position.

Saudi Arabia allowed women to drive in June 2018. Until recently, Saudi Arabia imposed many restrictions on women's daily lives.

However, Saudi Arabia clearly expressed regret over the Taliban's ban on female students' university education. In a statement released on the 21st, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "It is very surprising and regrettable that Afghan women are unable to receive university education," adding, "The Taliban's decision has shocked all Islamic countries."

Earlier, Qatar, which has acted as a mediator between the United States and the Taliban, also criticized the Taliban's recent decision.

On the 20th, the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education sent a letter to public and private universities in Afghanistan, announcing, "Female students are prohibited from attending classes until further notice."

Nida Mohammad Nadim, Acting Minister of Higher Education of Afghanistan, stated on the 22nd on the Afghan state-run RTA broadcast, "This decision was made due to female students not properly adhering to Islamic dress codes and issues of interaction between male and female students." Acting Minister Nadim claimed, "Female students did not comply with hijab regulations and mostly came to school wearing clothes typically worn only at weddings."

After banning most female middle and high school students from attending school, the Taliban's move to block women's university education has drawn widespread criticism from the West and the international community.

The Group of Seven (G7) publicly criticized the Taliban in a statement, saying, "Gender discrimination constitutes an inhumane crime." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned the Taliban, saying, "If this decision is not reversed, there will be consequences," and added, "While I will not specify today, we will pursue this in cooperation with our allies."

Protests against the ban on women's university education are taking place in Afghanistan.

On the 22nd, the first large-scale protest against this measure was held in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. About 50 protesters, mostly women, gathered outside the gate of Kabul University, chanting slogans such as "Education is our right. Open the university gates," and "All or nothing. Do not be afraid. We are together."

Since the Afghan authorities issued the ban on female students' education, armed guards have been stationed at the main gates of major universities in Kabul, preventing women from entering the campuses.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.