Kabul: Taliban leaders in Afghanistan’s restive Herat province have outlawed co-education at government and private colleges, calling it the “source of all evils in society,” just days after promising to protect women’s rights.
According to Khaama Press News Agency, the decision was reached following a meeting involving university instructors, private institution owners, and Taliban authorities on Saturday. The Taliban has released its first ‘fatwa’ since taking control of Afghanistan last week. The conquest of Kabul, the capital, on Sunday marked the end of the United States’ longest war, which began after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.Taliban bans co-education in Afghanistan’s Herat, says it is ‘root of all evils in society’
In an effort to present a more moderate attitude, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s longstanding spokesperson, vowed on Tuesday in his first-ever public appearance to address such concerns at a press conference that the Taliban would respect women’s rights within the rules of Islamic law.
Mullah Farid, a Taliban spokesperson and Afghanistan’s Head of Higher Education, claimed there is no alternative to co-education during a three-hour meeting of university academics and private educational institution owners.