ISLAMABAD: Nobel laureate and activist Malala Yousafzai has urged Muslim leaders not to “legitimise” the Taliban government in Afghanistan and recognise it as “perpetrators of gender apartheid”.
In her address to the International Conference on Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities on Sunday, Ms Yousafzai lambasted Israel for destroying educational institutions in Gaza and the Kabul regime for systemically stopping Afghan girls from getting an education.
She said the Afghan Taliban have “ripped away the right to learn” from Afghan girls by banning their education beyond Grade 6.
“They have weaponised our faith to justify it,” she said, adding the Afghan Taliban want to “eliminate women and girls from every aspect of public life and erase them from society”.
They punish women and girls who go against their decrees by “beating them up, detaining them and harming them”, she said of the Afghan government, which declined the invitation to attend the conference.
“They [Taliban] cloak their crimes in cultural and religious justification, but let us be absolutely clear; there is nothing Islamic about this. These policies do not reflect the teachings of Islam. In fact, they go against everything our faith stands for,” Ms Yousafzai added.
She called upon the Muslim leaders to “stand up for Afghan women” and recognise the Taliban regime as perpetrators of gender apartheid. “Do not legitimise them. Do not make compromises on our faith,” she implored.
Call out Israel
The 27-year-old Nobel laureate also criticised Israeli atrocities in Gaza, especially the damage inflicted on the education system.
“Israel has decimated the entire education system. They have bombed all universities, destroyed 90 percent of schools and indiscriminately attacked civilians sheltering in school buildings.”
“Palestinian children have lost their lives and future. A Palestinian girl cannot have the future she deserves if her school is bombed and her family is killed,” she added.
Ms Yousafzai vowed to keep calling out Israel’s violations of international law and human rights.
‘12.5m out-of-school girls’
She also deplored the dire situation of girls’ education in her native country, Pakistan, where 12.5 million girls are out of school.
“There is still a tremendous amount of work that is ahead of us so that every Pakistani girl can have access to her education,” she added.
Ms Yousafzai added that championing girls’ education was her “life mission”.
“I ask you all … to protect every girl’s right to go to school for a complete 12 years,” she said and called for investment in the education system.
“Let us be champions of our faith by being champions for girls and their right to learn.”
Islamabad Declaration
The conference concluded with the 17-point ‘Islamabad Declaration’, which emphasised girls’ education not only as a “religious obligation” but also as a social need.
“It is a fundamental right safeguarded by divine laws, mandated by Islamic teachings, reinforced by international charters, and well-established by national constitutions,” the declaration stated.
The declaration warned against “extremist ideologies, fatwas, and opinions rooted in cultural norms and patterns” that obstruct girls’ education.
“Such actions represent a grave misuse of religious principles to legitimise policies of deprivation and exclusion,” it said and vowed to counter efforts that undermine the fundamental right to education.
The attendants agreed to mobilise all resources to support Islamic countries in advancing education, with an emphasis on girls’ education.
The declaration also pledged scholarships to girls affected by poverty, conflicts, and social challenges.
The declaration urged local and international organisations to create digital resources to improve girls’ access to education and develop “specialised educational programmes” for individuals with special needs.
“This approach aims to ensure equal opportunities for academic achievement and social participation.”
Muslim countries were urged to enact laws to promote girls’ education, with media institutions creating awareness on this issue.
“These efforts should be coordinated with educational and media experts and include religious scholars, imams, and guides to effectively address opposition by elucidating the true principles of Islam.”
The declaration stated that anyone who rejects or opposes the Islamic religious principles on education should be disavowed.
“It is essential to disavow their ideology, whether they are an individual, an institution, or an entity—public or private.”
“It is time to end the misrepresentation of Islam and the violation of women’s rights,” the declaration stated and called for disseminating this “decisive and clear message” through religious lessons and Friday sermons.
Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2025
