Elders, youth must talk to officials on girls’ education: Shinkai

KABUL (Pajhwok): Shinkai Karokhel, a member of parliament in the former government, has said some traditional-minded leaders do not want girls to be allowed to get modern education, but tribal elders and youth should talk to the officials in this regard.

Shinkai Karokhel told in an inclusive interview: “Some traditional-minded officials in the Taliban movement think women have no right to study, they believe woman must be either in the house or in the grave and must be busy doing household chores, such officials do not want the women to be decision-makers or play a role in Afghanistan”.

Karokhel said: “They (the officials of the acting government of Afghanistan) are not invited to international meetings, they are denied the important seats and are not recognized, therefore, their rule will not last long”.

She said a severe humanitarian disaster was unfolding in Afghanistan and the current acting government could not manage it, so it would seek the assistance of international community in this regard.

She said intelligence agencies of regional countries were involved in the past four decades of wars in Afghanistan, especially Iranian and Pakistani intelligence agencies who used the people of Afghanistan to reach their own goals and they supported their proxies and pawns.

The former ambassador to Canada said everything was taken from the women of Afghanistan as they could not make their own decisions and win their daily bread.

She added tribal elders and youth must talk to officials of the acting government about the future of their children and must ask them for education for their girls.

Karokhel said: “These are the nefarious designs of the enemy who want to justify that the people of Afghanistan have culturally problem with the education of girls … the government must open the schools and leave the decision on people to send their daughters to school or not.”

 “We thought that the international community was in Afghanistan to build the country, but we did not know that everyone was working for their own interests while their intelligence indulged in deep games in this country,” she said.

She said the peace negotiations between the United States and the Taliban were not aimed at bringing peace to Afghanistan, but to find exit for US forces and in this Zalmai Khalilzad played a negative role.

Karokhel said: “Currently there are both political and civil movements in foreign countries, they must raise the issue of the rights of women and call on the Taliban to remove the unjust restrictions on women”.

She said such movements had no good result so far because they were yet to reach a consensus among them and once they became united, their voice would become powerful and the world would listen to them.

Karokhel said all differences could be resolved through negotiations and the caretaker government should not be self-centric and should not listen to regional intelligence.

The former lawmaker said the new government must be formed through a mechanism to get legitimacy and bring positive changes in Afghanistan.

However, the Islamic Emirate insists its government is legitimate, the rights of women are protected, majority of the women attend their jobs and those who do not are paid their salaries at homes.

The acting government has categorically said the ban on education of girls in temporary and a solution will be found to it under Sharia law.

aw/ma

Views: 322