National campaign for girls’ education launched

ATLANTA (Pajhwok): Launching a national campaign for girls’ education, speakers of a Titter space said the caretaker government of Afghanistan has failed to convince the Afghans on the issue.

A Twitter space was organized on Monday during the launch of a national campaign for girls’ education and besides the guests, 1700 people participated in it.

One of the campaign organizers, Malyar said the campaign was non-political and was not related to any group and its only purpose was to open the doors of schools and universities to girls.

Another host, Basir Danishyar, said that two years had passed since Afghan girls were deprived of education. He said the campaign was aimed at giving girls and women their national, cultural and Islamic right.

He added they would wage any civil movement if Afghan girls were not given their right to education.

In the space, Dr. Fazl Hadi Wazeen, Shinkai Karokhel, Dr. Ibrahim Shinwari, Dr. Khushal Rohi and Professor Abida Majidi spoke and answered the questions of some people.

Dr. Rohi, one of the main organizers of the campaign, said the doors of education had been closed on girls since about two years (22 months).

During this period, protests were made, tribal leaders, religious scholars and civil society repeated demanded the opening of girls schools and the international community supported the voice of the Afghan people, important religious authorities and scholars of the Islamic world showed their reactions and supported the voice of the people, but the caretaker government did not take any action and in addition to schools, it also shut the doors of universities to girls, Dr. Rohi said.

He added caretaker government officials were making contradictory statements about the matter, something unacceptable to the nation. He said some officials of the caretaker government also held different opinions about it.

Dr. Rohi said that no sign of progress could be seen yet, with curbs on women increasing day by day.

“Two years is a long period, two years of a generation was wasted, this is an important issue keeping in view Afghanistan’s national interests. The nation is disappointed and has lost hope.”

For this reason, he said, a large number of Afghan professors, religious scholars, social and national figures decided to start a national and international campaign about girls’ education, which started today.

He said the campaign was not related to any group or party and was a completely non-political movement.

“We will allow no one to violate the right to education of our daughters and sisters. Girls’ education is important for our national interests. We will try to  directly negotiate with the officials of the caretaker government, send them jirgas of elders and scholars.”

Dr. Rohi said they would get support of the Islamic world and would encourage them to persuade the caretaker government to allow girls to study.

He said Islamic word’s support and efforts were crucial and they were trying to muster their support through international organizations.

He said the Afghans had been expecting the caretaker government would soon come up with a plan , but it did not happen.

He said the caretaker government could not devise any plan about reopening of girls schools in two years, it had either no ability to make it or unwilling.

Abida Majidi, another participant, said:”The first commandment of Allah in the Holy Quran was education. Allah has sworn by the pen.”

She said the consequences of the caretaker government’s decision to ban girls’ education would be dangerous.

Dr. Ibrahim Shinwari, former deputy education minister, said the Holy Quran had mentioned a lot about natural sciences.

He added that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) emphasized the rights of women in the farewell sermon of Hajj and now the Muslims were left behind because they failed to implement the Prophet’s last sermon.

Shinwari said there had been good progress in the last 20 years as four million girls were studying, 90000 women were teachers, 2600 were professors in universities and 80 of them had doctorates.

According to him, the current government has confined these women and girls to their homes and denied them their rights.

Shinwari believed the caretaker government wanted to achieve political gains from banning girls’ education.

He said it was also wrong that girls education was a cultural problem in Afghanistan. “Culture is not permanent, it changes with time, Islamic duty is to combat bad cultures, Islam reforms cultures.”

He said girls schools had been active in areas ruled by the Taliban during the past government and an Afghan-American had activated a girls school in Nad Ali district of Helmand province, where the erstwhile rebels held sway.

He said a father in southeastern Paktika province would take his daughter to school on motorcycle for 12 kilometers. “It is clear that this is not a cultural problem.”

“They should tell us the real reason and should discuss with us, if there is an issue of interpretation, they should discuss with prominent religious scholars of the world. 56 out of 57 Islamic countries are not against girls’ education.”

Dr. Fazal Hadi Wazeen said it was the duty of all Islamic, national, humanitarian and religious people to participate in the campaign.

He added that the education of girls was a humanitarian, national and Sharia issue and should be looked at from an Islamic, national and Sharia perspective.

Women’s rights activist Shinkai Karokhel said restrictions on women were increasing in Afghanistan and two years had passed since girls’ education was banned, asking the Afghans to wake up and feel responsible.

The former lawmaker said every family had girls and women and they should demand and protect their legitimate rights.

She said every Afghan should raise his voice because it the matter of Afghanistan’s fate.

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