Malala Describes Taliban’s Treatment Of Women Described As ‘Un-Islamic’

Malala Yousafzai, a global advocate for girls’ education and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has condemned Taliban policies on women and girls in Afghanistan as inhumane. Speaking at an international summit on girls’ education in Islamabad, Yousafzai urged Muslim leaders to challenge the Taliban’s repressive actions, which she claims go against the very principles of Islam.

During the summit, Malala Yousafzai did not hesitate to criticize the Taliban’s approach towards women. She said, “Simply put, the Taliban in Afghanistan do not see women as human beings,” pointing out the contrast between the Taliban’s policies and the values upheld by Islam.

She spoke out against the Taliban, which tried to assassinate her when she was just 15 years old because of her advocacy for girls’ education. According to her, such restrictions do not only hurt the development of women and girls but also bring down the dignity of half the population.

Taliban’s Gender Apartheid System

The Nobel laureate said she was particularly concerned about the Taliban establishing what she described as a “system of gender apartheid.” This includes some very strict policies, such as banning girls from going to school past sixth grade, which has left more than a million girls uneducated. Yousafzai said that Afghanistan is the only country in the world that prohibits women and girls from attending secondary and higher education.

She also highlighted the brutal tactics of the Taliban against people who resist their oppressive laws. According to her, women and girls are punished through beatings, detentions, and other forms of harm. “They cloak their crimes in cultural and religious justification,” Yousafzai said, “but actually go against everything our faith stands for.

In her speech, Yousafzai challenged Muslim leaders to condemn the unjust treatment of women and girls by the Taliban. She noted that the policies imposed on Afghanistan were contradictory to the principles of equality and justice found in Islam.

Organizations, such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Muslim World League, invited the Taliban to participate in the summit. However, the leaders did not attend it, despite such invitations. There were still an impressive number of ministers and scholars from Muslim countries to express their joint support for the education of girls worldwide.

Struggle For Afghan Women’s Rights

Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, no foreign government has formally recognized its rule. Western nations, along with human rights organizations, have consistently called on the Taliban to reverse its policies restricting women’s rights. In December 2024, the Taliban further restricted women’s rights by banning them from training to become midwives and nurses, effectively eliminating their last access to professional education in the country.

Due to the continued repressions, numerous concerns have mounted for the futures of girls across schooling in Afghanistan to other conflict spots around the globe. According to Yousafzai, the crises surrounding Gaza, Yemen, and Sudan make global educational crises around girls, cutting short the prospects of millions young women.

Malala Yousafzai concluded her speech by urging the global community to not only raise awareness about these grave violations but to take concrete action to protect the education and rights of girls worldwide. “The entire future of girls is stolen in these countries,” she warned, emphasizing that the ongoing crises threaten to leave generations of girls without access to the education they deserve.

ALSO READ | Trump Leaves Netizens In Splits With A Hilarious Spin On His Viral Moment With Barack Obama: ‘Masterclass in Trolling’