Reopening of girls schools, universities urged

KABUL (Pajhwok): On the eve of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) third anniversary of coming to power for the second time, some girls urged the reopening of schools and universities for girls and women in line with Sharia law.

After returning to power in August 2021, the Islamic Emirate suspended girls’ schools above class sixth and then extended the ban to university education.

But officials have repeatedly said the ban on girls’ education is temporary and they would be allowed after a suitable and proper environment is created.

We seek education in line with Sharia Law: Girls

Razia Walayati, a student of the 10th grade of Chel Dukhtaran High School in Kabul, told Pajhwok Afghan News three years have passed since the schools was closed for girls’ and there is still no news about its reopening.

She said she followed her studies at home in these three years and asked the caretaker government to reopen schools for them.

“Every night when I sleep, I hope that maybe tomorrow the doors of school will reopen for us and we will be able to go to schools again,” she explained.

She added: “We would observe hijab in the past. We want the IEA to reopen the doors of school for us. We want to continue our lessons and make progress alongside our brothers.”

Soraya Wakilzadeh, another student who was a 10th grade student when the doors of school closed for girls, said that she would have graduated from high school if the doors of school were not closed for girls.

Referring to the third anniversary of IEA coming into power, she said: “We want the IEA leadership to reopen the doors of school for us. We want to go to schools and study in order to serve for nation in the future. We are Muslims and living in an Islamic country, we observed hijab and we are observing and we will.”

Some female students also want reopening universities

Sama Yaqoubi, who was a third semester student of Computer Science Faculty at the Kabul University, said that most of the girls, including she, were disappointed about their future with the suspension of university and they are becoming more depressed with each passing day.

She hopes the doors of the schools and universities to be open for the girls one day. She said: “It is our desire to see the doors of the schools and universities open for education and we all study, Al Hamdu-Lillah we are Muslims, we observed hijab in the past, we observe it today, I want the government to re-open the gate of schools and universities … every Muslim girl knows that the hijab is not the obstacle in the way of their aims, it is a great shield for the girls.”

She hoped to end her education and establish a software company in the future.

Roya Sherzad is another student of the second year of Kabul University, she said: “We were in our second year of the university when it was shut for girls, an incident which left negative impact on us. We were upset and shocked that we can’t describe.”

She was encouraged by her parents to study the subjects of the university at her home and study English and computer at courses.

Sherzad said: “Everyone knows that we all are Muslims Al Hamdu-lillah and live in an Islamic country. We observed hijab before the IEA rule in the country. We wore a special uniform which was according to the values of Sharia Law, we want to learn all of the religious and scientific subjects evenly as any other girls of Muslim countries.”

It is not the Kabul girls that want the reopening of schools and universities, the girls of other provinces of Afghanistan desire the same thing from the leaders of the IEA.

Experts: IEA leaders must listen to the people about reopening schools and universities

Education expert, Sanaullah Salihi said, the three-year long closure of schools and universities caused losses equal the losses of ten years in the field of education.

The education of girls is a must and the right of females, he said: “If the girls are left illiterate, it means that the entire families are illiterate.”

Most of the families had accepted the risk of migration from the country because of the lack of education opportunities here in the country, now their children will be trained according to the culture of other countries or even according to the culture of non-Muslim countries. They will stay away from religious studies.

He called the suspension of girls' courses in educational centers harmful: “Right now the only open institutes for girls are health institutes, if no more girls are graduated from schools, after a few years such institutes would be also closed due to the lack of female high school graduates. That means that we will not have any doctresses in the future”

He concluded, the leadership of the IEA must listen the voice of the people and put an end to this situation and open the doors of schools and universities as soon as possible for girls.

Tafsir Siahposh, an activist of women rights told Pajhwok: “What the religion of Islam says is that the knowledge is an obligation of both the women and men. The first verse the came to the Prophet PBUH was “Iqra” which means “Read”. The Prophet PBUH had also said to seek knowledge from the cradle to grave. We know that the significance of knowledge is high but still do not know why the schools and universities were still closed.”

He said in Islam there were no restrictions on women education: “Afghanistan people demand and suggest the opening of closed doors of schools and universities. We don’t like to be restricted anymore, especially tomorrow’s mothers. We don’t like to be away from education right, as we know if a man is educated, it is just for himself, but when a woman is educated, she could educate society.””

He emphasized: “I hope that the IEA would pay attention, open schools and universities, and that what it claims is in accordance with Islam and Sharia, because the holy religious of Islam has given the highest rights to human beings, especially women and children”.

“This situation is worrying. Most families were forced to leave their homeland to educate their daughters”, he added.

IEA’s officials’ response

Pajhwok Afghan News tried to get IEA’s officials response, but failed to receive an answer.

IEA’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid recently responded to a reporter's question: “It is Afghanistan’s domestic issue, we are trying to address it, God forbid Afghans face another crisis”.

“I said, we can take action to understand that Afghanistan is not facing differences and duality”.

Deputy Minister of Higher Education Dr. Lutfullah Khairkhwah answered the question: “This matter has been entrusted to a committee. When it finalizes, we as the Ministry of Higher Education and executive body after issuing the second order, will see the capacity and competence to create any type of environment within a certain period of time. But we are all waiting to get the result”.

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