A senior Taliban official who expressed support for reversing the ban on girls and women's education in Afghanistan appears to have been forced to flee the country amid fears of arrest.
#Taliban minister ‘forced to flee #Afghanistan’ after speech in support of girls’ education https://t.co/DyruEq9CmO
— Lynne O'Donnell (@lynnekodonnell) February 4, 2025
Mohammad Sher Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban’s political deputy at the foreign ministry, criticized the ban while speaking at a graduation ceremony in Khost province, near the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
He also called on other Taliban leaders to open schools for girls and women in January, adding that the draconian order barring them from attending secondary and higher education was not in line with Sharia law, as the hardline rulers claimed.
“There is no excuse for this – not now and not in the future,” Stanikzai, a graduate of political studies and military school, remarked.
I have no idea why they’re banning it, zero Islamic justification
— Zorcy (@Z0rcy) February 4, 2025
“We are being unjust to 20 million people,” he also added, referring to half of Afghanistan’s female population.
“During the time of the prophet Muhammad, the doors of knowledge were open for both men and women,” Stanikzai said. “There were such remarkable women that if I were to elaborate on their contributions, it would take a considerable amount of time.”
His public remarks were the first such comments against the Taliban’s order on education and demonstrated a rare sign of internal divisions around one of the flagship policies of Afghanistan’s de facto leaders.
Good execute the fucker
— Abu Muslim (@AbuMuslim161203) February 5, 2025
The Taliban has imposed a strict nationwide ban on female education, preventing girls and women from attending school beyond sixth grade, which caused the country to become internationally isolated.
Shortly after his speech, the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, reportedly ordered Stanikzai’s arrest and issued a travel ban against him, prohibiting him from stepping back in Afghanistan.
However, Stanikzai had left for the United Arab Emirates before he could have been held. He confirmed to local media that he had left Afghanistan for Dubai but claimed it was for health reasons. The Taliban did not respond to any requests for comment.
What a pity.
— ashok (@ashok12386745) February 7, 2025
This is not the first time Stanikzai, often viewed as a moderate within the Taliban ranks, called for restoring the education of Afghan girls and women. In September 2022, more than a year after the Taliban seized control of the country, Stanikzai said no one had a religious reason to justify depriving girls and women of education, even calling schools and colleges obligatory for both genders.
