Taliban Ministry Cite These Reasons for Banning Women from Universities

Talibans are facing immense criticism from the international community for banning women from universities. The authorities have defended their decision though. 

The ministry has said that the women are not following proper instructions and dress code. 

The Taliban's minister for higher education Nida Mohammad Nadim said that the ban was necessary to prevent the mixing of genders in the universities.

“Unfortunately after the passing of 14 months, the instructions of the Ministry of Higher Education of the Islamic Emirate regarding the education of women were not implemented," Nadeem said in an interview on state television. 

He said that some of the subjects taught in the universities violate the principles of Islam.  

“Girls were studying agriculture and engineering, but this didn’t match Afghan culture. Girls should learn, but not in areas that go against Islam and Afghan honour.”

Another reason given for banning women from universities is because they didn’t follow proper dress code. 

“We told girls to have proper hijab, but they didn’t and they wore dresses like they are going to a wedding ceremony,” he said.

The ministry said that they would re-open the universities once these issues were resolved. 

Meanwhile the Taliban has attracted backlash not only from G7 countries but also other Muslim nations. G7 countries emphasized that “gender persecution may amount to a crime against humanity.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu  said the ban was "neither Islamic nor humane." 

"What harm is there in women’s education? What harm does it do to Afghanistan?" Cavusoglu said. "Is there an Islamic explanation? On the contrary, our religion, Islam, is not against education, on the contrary, it encourages education and science."

Despite intense criticism from the international community Nadeem stated that they should "not interfere in Afghanistan's internal affairs.”