ISLAMABAD: Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai criticized Taliban on Sunday, saying that they do not regard women as human beings and has established a system of “gender apartheid,” justifying their crimes with cultural and religious excuses.
“Taliban do not see women as human beings. They cloak their crimes in cultural and religious justifications. They punish women and girls who dare to defy their opaque laws by beating, arresting, or injuring them,” Malala said at a summit in Islamabad focused on girls’ education in Muslim countries.
Since retaking power in Afghanistan in 2021, Taliban regime has enforced a strict interpretation of Islamic law, depriving women of participation in many areas of public life. Their restrictions have prevented women and girls from attending secondary and university schools, as well as holding many govt jobs.
“They want to eliminate women and girls from every aspect of public life and erase them from society. These policies have no basis in Islamic teachings,” she said.
Malala called on Muslim leaders to demonstrate true leadership by refusing to legitimize Taliban govt. “It is time for Muslim leaders to raise your voices and use your power to oppose such injustices,” she added.
Afghanistan’s Taliban govt snubbed the event by rejecting the invitation. “No one from there came to participate in the conference,” Pakistan’s education minister, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, said.
Malala also condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza. “In Gaza, Israel has decimated the entire education system. They have bombed all universities, destroyed more than 90% of schools, and indiscriminately attacked civilians sheltering in school buildings,” Malala said, stressing the urgency of international intervention to protect the rights and future of Palestinian children.