“The co-education is contrary to the principles of Islam and to national values, customs and traditions,” said the incumbent minister for higher education, Abdul Baghi Haqqani, in Kabul on Sunday. The militant Islamist Taliban had taken power again in Afghanistan in mid-August.
Haqqani announced that there should also be a gender segregation on the campuses of the universities in the future. If this is not possible, universities should first set up alternating teaching times or ensure that the classrooms are separated. The Taliban want to hire female lecturers for female students – but men should also be allowed to teach women, as long as the lessons follow the rules of Sharia law. This also included Islamic dress codes, the minister said.
In Afghanistan, the Islamists had already ruled with an extremely strict interpretation of Islamic law during their rule from 1996 to 2001. At that time women and girls hardly had any rights. Twenty years after the 9/11 attacks, the Taliban are now back in power after conquering the country within a few weeks.
The international community wants to meet in Geneva for a donor conference on Monday. Many states have already announced that they will make humanitarian aid subject to conditions. Many millions of people in Afghanistan are in need of help after four decades of war and conflict.
