Taliban minister decries injustice of banning girls' education

In Afghanistan, a senior official from the Taliban has recently spoken out against a ban on girls' education that has been in place since September 2021. This ban has denied over 2 million girls access to schooling, prompting some families to leave the country in search of education opportunities for their daughters. It was reported that as significant internal disagreements grow within the Taliban regarding this ban, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the acting deputy foreign minister, stated that the prohibition on girls attending school is not aligned with Sharia law but rather based on personal choices. His comments were made during a graduation ceremony in Khost province on January 18, which was a notable dissenting opinion in Taliban leadership circles. As he expressed regret over the ban, suggesting that it constitutes an injustice being committed by the group, he hinted at the public sentiment and pressure some officials feel toward girls' education. However, Stanikzai faces isolation among his peers as the hardline factions within the Taliban maintain a strict stance on such policies. Additionally, the enforcement of repressive measures by the Taliban, including laws against women's freedom of movement and expression, has further exacerbated the educational crisis for girls. Families are taking immense risks to flee Afghanistan, putting their lives on the line for the chance to educate their daughters, such as the family of a 15-year-old girl named Gulalai, who moved to Pakistan for this very reason. As the new school year commenced, the overwhelming sentiment among many Taliban officials in the hardliner group remains firmly against reversing the ban, creating a dire situation for Afghanistan's future generations.