Mufti Usmani urges Taliban to reopen girls’ schools

Renowned religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani has urged the Taliban government to reopen girls’ schools in Afghanistan.

In a letter to Taliban chief Haibatullah Akhundzada, Mufti Usmani noted that in his opinion, it was necessary to make arrangements for female education in accordance with the Sharia.

He said educated women were important for the country as well as the society.

“Girls' education is currently an important issue which the enemy of the Islamic Emirate has used as a propaganda tool. We value the wise and wholehearted measures which the Islamic Emirate has taken so far. But we are of the view that it is necessary to make appropriate arrangements for girls' education in accordance with Sharia," he said in the letter.

"Secondly, there is a need to dispel the impression that Islam or the Islamic Emirate are against women education. However, it is necessary to make separate arrangements for girls' education from boys."

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The religious scholar said he had heard that there was lack of space for setting up separate educational institutions for boys and girls in Afghanistan.

The solution to this could be introducing different school timings for boys and girls, he recommended. He also proposed that different sections of the same school could be specifically designated for each gender. "A solution can be found with mutual consultations," he said.

Mufti Usmani is the vice president of Darul Uloom Karachi and highly respected by the Taliban.

Earlier, a group of 16 Pakistan-based Afghan ulema had also written to the Taliban leadership in support of girls' education which they maintained was in accordance with the Islamic principles.