Iran Deplores Suspension of University Education for Women in Afghanistan

Reacting to reports that the Taliban-run higher education ministry has suspended access to universities by female students across Afghanistan, Nasser Kanaani said in a statement on Thursday, “The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a neighbor of Afghanistan that favors peace, stability and development in that country, is sorry to hear about the obstacles being put in the way of university education for girls and women in Afghanistan.”

He said Iran hopes that the people in charge in Afghanistan would immediately remove the obstacles and allow for the resumption of the Afghan girls’ access to education at schools and universities, so that the female students would enjoy the right to education and play a more active role in the development and prosperity of Afghanistan.

On Tuesday, Afghanistan’s Taliban-run higher education ministry said that female students would not be allowed access to the country’s universities until further notice.

“You all are informed to immediately implement the mentioned order of suspending the education of females until further notice,” said a letter issued to all government and private universities, signed by the Minister for Higher Education, Neda Mohammad Nadeem.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric has described the move as “troubling”.

The Taliban have defended the decision, saying such restrictions have been done to preserve “national interest” and women’s “honor”.