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‘Another major blow to women’s rights under Taliban rule’

Women — both students and instructors — have been banned from Afghanistan’s Kabul University by the Taliban’s chancellor for the institution until an “Islamic environment” is established.

“Folks! I give you my words as the chancellor of Kabul University: as long as real Islamic environment is not provided for all, women will not be allowed to come to universities or work. Islam first,” Chancellor Mohammad Ashraf Ghairat tweeted Monday.

On Tuesday he clarified his comments.

“I haven’t said that we will never allow women to attend universities or go to work, I meant that until we create an Islamic environment, women will have to stay at home. We work hard to creat safe Islamic environment soon,” Ghairat tweeted.

https://twitter.com/MAshrafGhairat/status/1442791707532222473

The New York Times reports the development “is another major blow to women’s rights under Taliban rule, and to a two-decade effort to build up higher education.”

The Times reports:

In the days after the Taliban seized power in August, officials went to pains to insist that this time would be better for women, who would be allowed to study, work and even participate in government.

But none of that has happened. Taliban leaders recently named an all-male cabinet. The new government has also prohibited women from returning to the workplace, citing security concerns, though officials have described that as temporary. (The original Taliban movement did that as well in its early days in 1990s, but never followed up.)

Two weeks ago, the Taliban replaced the president of Kabul University, the country’s premier college, with Mr. Ghairat, a 34-year-old devotee of the movement who has referred to the country’s schools as “centers for prostitution.”

Read the full Times article.

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