Taliban Official Urges Education Ban Reversal

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, a senior Taliban figure and political deputy at the Foreign Ministry, publicly urged the Taliban leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, to reverse the education bans on Afghan women and girls. This rare public rebuke of government policy was made in a speech in Khost province on Saturday, January 18, 2025. Stanikzai stated there is no justification for denying education to women and girls, calling it an injustice against 20 million people and not in Islamic law. The Taliban government has barred females from education after sixth grade and reportedly stopped medical training for women. Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has also urged Muslim leaders to challenge the Taliban on this issue. The United Nations has indicated that recognition of the Taliban is almost impossible while these bans remain. Despite this, countries like Russia and India have been building ties with Afghan authorities.