Shahabuddin Delawar, head of the Afghan red crescent society under Taliban rule, says the decision to suspend girls’ education was made by Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and that no one has the right to oppose it.
In an exclusive interview with TOLOnews, Delawar said he did not want to discuss girls’ education because, in his view, the issue has “cultural and Islamic” dimensions.
He said: “We have an emir. He is a religious scholar, and he has ordered that education remain suspended until further notice. Neither I, nor you, nor the nation can say anything against his order. He understands all of these matters better than anyone else.”
The Taliban official emphasized that all governing authority rests with Hibatullah Akhundzada and that they follow his directives. He also cited the example of regional power holders during the final years of the former republic, arguing that opposition to the leader leads to disorder and instability.
Delawar also said that a “complete ban” on girls’ education has not been announced, but that their education has been suspended “until further notice.” According to him, Hibatullah Akhundzada is assessing Afghanistan’s circumstances, culture, and the situation of its people.
The Taliban official also claimed that the United States and other countries are using the issue of girls’ education as a means of exerting pressure.
In March 2022, the Taliban suspended secondary education for girls above the sixth grade, and in December of the same year, they also barred women and girls from attending universities. Afghanistan is now the only country in the world where women and girls are formally denied access to secondary and higher education.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
