Afghan religious scholars Saturday criticized a ban on female education, as a key Taliban minister warned clerics not to rebel against the government on the controversial issue.
Girls cannot go to school beyond sixth grade in Afghanistan, with the education ban extending to universities. Women are barred from public spaces, including parks, and most forms of employment. Last week, Afghan women were barred from working at the UN, according to the global body, although the Taliban have yet to make a public announcement. The bans have raised fierce international uproar, increasing the country’s isolation at a time when its economy has collapsed and worsened a humanitarian crisis.
Public opposition to Taliban policies is rare, although some Taliban leaders have voiced their disagreement with the decision-making process. One scholar, Abdul Rahman Abid, told The Associated Press that knowledge is obligatory in Islam for men and women and Islam allows women to study.
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