Afghanistan for some decades now has been facing a humanitarian crisis. It’s so pathetic the Taliban have imposed several restrictions on the freedom of women, young girls, and the media as well. Western-imposed sanctions have frozen aid and Afghan central bank assets worth nearly 11 billion USD.
The higher Education Minister of Afghanistan, Neda Mohammad Nadeem, said on state television that the ban was implemented because female students were not following the dress code, the BBC reports.
Until further notice, the ban stated that female students wouldn’t be allowed in any of the country’s universities or even private universities. According to Neda Mohammed, the ban is imposed to preserve ‘national interest’, women’s ‘honor’. The Afghanistan government also said women could no longer visit mosques or attend seminaries.
The United Nation says half of Afghanistan’s population face acute hunger and 9 million persons have been displaced due to their autocratic-violent leadership style.
Strangely, the Talibans made the announcement on day of the United Nations Security Council meeting on Afghanistan in New York. The United States and United Kingdom criticized the ban as the UN secretary-general’s special representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, confirmed it. Otunbayeva claimed the move “undermined” the Taliban administration’s relationship with the international society and the disregard for the stated concerns keeps them “at something of an impasse.”
Most Islamic governments across the world have criticized the Taliban’s restrictions.
Presidential spokesperson for Turkey, Ibrahim Kalin, tweeted the ban was “against the spirit of Islam” and had “no place in religion.”
Amiera al-Hefeiti ,The United Arab Emirates United Nations Ambassador, condemned the decision during a U.N. session on Afghanistan Tuesday.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on Wednesday expressing concern, calling the ban a “negative practice.”
