[ad_1]
KABUL (Pajhwok): On the eve of the third anniversary of the second coming of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), some girls have called for the reopening of schools and universities for girls and women in accordance with Islamic law.
After returning to power in August 2021, the Islamic Emirate suspended education in girls’ schools above grade 6 and later extended the ban to university education.
But officials have repeatedly said that the ban on girls’ education is temporary and they will be allowed to get education only after a proper and suitable environment is created.
We seek education in accordance with Islamic law: Girls
Razia Walayati, a 10th grade student at Chel Dukhtaran High School in Kabul, told Pajhwok Afghanistan News that the girls’ school has been closed for three years and there is still no news of its reopening.
She said she had been studying at home for the past three years and requested the caretaker administration to reopen the school for them.
“Every night when I go to bed, I hope that tomorrow the school doors will be open again for us and we can go to school again,” she explained.
She added: “We used to wear headscarves. We hope that the IEA will reopen the doors of the school for us. We want to continue studying and progress with our brothers.”
Soraya Wakilzadeh, another student who was in grade 10 when the girls’ school was closed, said she would have graduated from high school had the girls’ school not been closed.
Speaking about the third anniversary of the IEA, she said: “We hope that the IEA leadership will reopen the doors of the school for us. We want to go to school and learn so that we can serve the country in the future. We are Muslims, living in an Islamic country, we observe the hijab, we are observing it and we will continue to observe it.”
Some female students also want universities to reopen
Sama Yaqubi, a third-year computer science student at Kabul University, said most girls, including herself, are disappointed about their future because of the school closures, and their mood is getting lower and lower every day.
She hopes that one day the doors of schools and universities will be opened for girls. She said: “We hope that the doors of schools and universities will be opened for girls so that all of us can learn, Al Hamdu-Lillah, we are Muslims, we used to wear headscarves, and we still wear headscarves today, I hope the government will reopen the doors of schools and universities… Every Muslim girl knows that the headscarf is not an obstacle to their goals, but a strong shield for girls.”
She hopes to finish her studies and start a software company in the future.
Roya Sherzad, another sophomore at Kabul University, said: “When we were in our second year, the school was suddenly closed to girls. This incident left a deep impression on us. We felt very sad and shocked. This feeling cannot be described in words.”
With her parents’ encouragement, she studied university subjects at home and took English and computers as part of her course.
“As everyone knows, we are all Muslims, Al Hamdu-lillah, living in an Islamic country. We wore headscarves before the country implemented IEA rules. We wear special uniforms that comply with the values of Sharia law, and we want to learn all religious and scientific subjects equally like other girls in Muslim countries,” Sherzad said.
It is not just the girls in Kabul who want the schools and universities to reopen, girls in other provinces of Afghanistan want the IEA leaders to do the same.
Expert: IEA leaders must listen to people on reopening schools and universities
Education expert Sanaullah Salehi said the losses caused by the closure of schools and universities for three years are equivalent to ten years of losses in the education sector.
It is imperative and a woman’s right for girls to receive education, he said: “If a girl is illiterate, it means the whole family is illiterate.”
Due to the lack of educational opportunities at home, most families have accepted the risk of emigrating and now their children will be educated in other cultures, even non-Muslim countries. They will stay away from religious studies.
He called the removal of girls’ courses at educational centres harmful: “The only institutions open to girls at the moment are health institutions, and if no girls graduate from school, these institutions too will close in a few years due to a lack of female high school graduates. This means we won’t have any female doctors in the future.”
He concluded that the IEA leadership must listen to the people, put an end to this situation and open the doors of schools and universities to girls as soon as possible.
“In Islam, knowledge is an obligation for both men and women. The first verse taught by the Prophet Muhammad was ‘Iqra’, which means ‘reading’. The Prophet Muhammad also said to seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. We know the importance of knowledge but still don’t know why schools and universities remain closed,” women’s rights activist Tafsir Siahposh told Pajhwok.
He said Islam places no restrictions on female education: “Afghan people demand and suggest opening the doors of schools and universities. We don’t want to be restricted anymore, especially future mothers. We don’t want to be deprived of our right to education because we know that if a man is educated, it’s only for himself, but when a woman is educated, she can educate the society.”
He stressed: “I hope that the International Education Association will pay attention, open schools and universities, and that what it claims is in line with Islam and Islamic law, because Islam’s teachings give the highest rights to human beings, especially women and children.”
“The situation is worrying. Most families are forced to leave their homes to educate their daughters,” he added.
IEA official response
Pajhwok Afghan News tried to seek a response from IEA officials but could not get a reply.
Zabiullah Mujahid, spokesman for the International Energy Agency, said in response to a reporter’s question a few days ago: “This is an Afghan domestic issue. We are working hard to resolve it. I hope Afghanistan will not face another crisis.”
“I say we can take action to understand that what Afghanistan faces is not division and duality.”
Dr. Lutfullah Khairkhwah, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, responded to the question: “The matter has been entrusted to a committee. When it is finalized, we as the Ministry of Higher Education and the implementing agency after the second order is issued, will see the ability and capacity to create any type of environment within a certain period of time. But we are all waiting for the results”.
kk/aw/hz/nh
Views: 9
[ad_2]
Source link
