Malala slams Afghan Taliban for 'gender apartheid' against women
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Islamabad: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai sharply criticized the Afghan Taliban regime on Sunday, accusing it of enforcing a system of "gender apartheid" against women by masking its oppressive policies under the guise of culture and religion.
Speaking at an international conference on girls' education in Muslim nations in Islamabad, Malala condemned the Taliban's treatment of women, saying, "Simply put, the Taliban do not see women as human beings. They cloak their crimes in cultural and religious justification. These policies are a violation of human rights and have no basis in Islamic teachings."
Since retaking control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban government has implemented severe anti-women policies, including the denial of education to girls. Malala questioned the Taliban’s claims of establishing an "Islamic system," calling their actions violations of human rights that no cultural or religious excuse could justify.
She urged Muslim leaders to refrain from recognizing the Taliban's government and to show genuine leadership by standing against policies that limit education for women and girls. "Do not legitimize them," she stated, describing the Taliban as "perpetrators of gender apartheid."
Malala expressed grave concern over the future of Afghan girls, stating, “The Taliban have ripped away the right to learn from every Afghan girl and they want to eliminate women and girls from every aspect of public life and erase them from society.”
Highlighting the broader issue, she also pointed out that 12 million Pakistani girls are out of school, one of the highest numbers globally, but expressed optimism over the ongoing conference, hosted in Pakistan, as a step toward addressing these educational challenges.
Malala further criticized Israeli actions in Gaza, accusing Israel of dismantling the region's education system and committing human rights violations. "In Gaza, Israel has decimated the entire education system," she said. "They have bombed all universities, destroyed more than 90% of schools, and indiscriminately attacked civilians sheltering in school buildings."
The conference aimed to discuss the challenges of girls' education in Muslim communities and explore the role of international leadership in ensuring equal access to education. Malala, who survived an assassination attempt by the Pakistani Taliban at the age of 15 for opposing their policies, has become a global symbol of resilience and advocacy for girls' education.
With PTI inputs