Taliban orders girls’ high schools to remain closed, leaving students in tears

By Charlotte Greenfield

KABUL (Reuters) -The Taliban on Wednesday backtracked on their announcement that top faculties would open for ladies, saying they might stay closed till a plan was drawn up in accordance with Islamic legislation for them to reopen.

The u-turn took many unexpectedly, leaving college students in tears and drawing condemnation from humanitarian businesses, rights teams and diplomats at a time when the Taliban administration is searching for worldwide recognition.

Academics and college students from three excessive faculties across the capital Kabul stated women had returned in pleasure to campuses on Wednesday morning, however have been ordered to go residence. They stated many college students left in tears.

“All of us grew to become completely hopeless when the principal informed us, she was additionally crying,” stated a pupil, not being named for safety causes.

The final time the Taliban dominated Afghanistan, from 1996 to 2001, they banned feminine training and most employment.

The worldwide neighborhood has made the training of ladies a key demand for any future recognition of the Taliban administration, which took over the nation in August as overseas forces withdrew.

United Nations Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres stated the Taliban’s resolution was “a profound disappointment and deeply damaging for Afghanistan.”

“The denial of training not solely violates the equal rights of girls and women to training,” Guterres stated in an announcement. “I urge the Taliban de facto authorities to open faculties for all college students with none additional delay.”

The Ministry of Schooling had introduced final week that faculties for all college students, together with women, would open across the nation on Wednesday after months of restrictions on training for top school-aged women.

On Tuesday night a Ministry of Schooling spokesman launched a video congratulating all college students on their returning to class.

Nevertheless, on Wednesday, a Ministry of Schooling discover stated faculties for ladies can be closed till a plan was drawn up in accordance with Islamic legislation and Afghan tradition, in keeping with Bakhtar Information, a authorities information company.

Suhail Shaheen, a senior Taliban member based mostly in Doha, stated the postponed opening of ladies’ faculties was on account of a technical subject and the Ministry of Schooling was engaged on standardised uniforms for college students across the nation.

“We hope the uniform subject is resolved and finalised as quickly as attainable,” he stated.

Sixteen-year-old Khadija went to highschool on Wednesday having stayed up all night time in pleasure after seven months at residence. However simply minutes after lining up along with her classmates for a welcoming speech, the college’s assistant supervisor as a substitute approached the scholars, crying, and broke the information they needed to depart.

“We could not consider we face such circumstances… it was like a mourning day. Everybody was crying and hugging one another,” she stated.

Returning residence, she unpacked her books from her bag and tried to think about how she might keep motivated, by instructing youthful kids in her neighbourhood to assist her keep in mind her classes. Nonetheless, she stated the frustration was laborious to beat.

“I want to be a health care provider sooner or later however for now I’ve no hope, I’m like a useless physique,” she stated.

Native media broadcast footage of ladies holding a protest in Kabul.

Many within the worldwide neighborhood condemned the choice with the U.N.’s particular envoy for Afghanistan formally conveying the organisation’s “grave concern and disappointment” to Taliban officers, in keeping with a U.N. assertion.

The Taliban is searching for to run the nation in keeping with its interpretation of Islamic legislation whereas on the similar time accessing billions of {dollars} in support that it desperately must stave off widespread poverty.

“For the sake of the nation’s future and its relations with the worldwide neighborhood, I’d urge the Taliban to reside as much as their commitments to their folks,” U.S. Particular Envoy for Afghanistan, Tom West, stated in a tweet.

(Reporting by Kabul Newsroom and Charlotte Greenfield; Extra reporting by Gibran Peshimam and Michelle Nichols in New York; Modifying by Michael Perry, Alexandra Hudson and Jonathan Oatis)