Meeting on Girls' Education in Islamic Societies; "Anyone Who Opposes Girls' Education is Outside Islam"

She added that the Taliban’s mission is to remove women and girls from all aspects of life, and this situation is leading to the destruction of an entire generation of girls in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Yousafzai further emphasized that Muslim scholars must prevent the systematic exclusion of women and girls from various fields of life in Afghanistan and stressed that the Taliban justify their "crimes" against women with religious and cultural excuses.

She remarked that the Taliban’s actions show that this group does not consider women to be human beings, and called on Islamic countries not to grant legitimacy to the Taliban.

In this regard, Shehbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, described the educational restrictions for girls as the "most important challenge of the current era in the Islamic world" and thanked the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for addressing this issue.

He emphasized that deeply rooted social traditions exacerbate the main problem of educational restrictions for girls.

Mohammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, also stated during the meeting: "Islam has never prohibited girls from education, and anyone who opposes this is outside Islam."

He added that opposition to girls' education not only has no religious basis but also goes against Islamic principles. He emphasized that Muslim women have had active participation in all areas, including religious, political, and economic matters, throughout the history of Islam.

He also noted: "We reject the religious considerations of some who use the name of Islam to prevent girls from education."

These remarks come at a time when, over the past three years, the Taliban have closed schools above grade six and universities to girls and women. These actions have sparked widespread reactions both globally and nationally, with many international organizations and governments calling for an end to these restrictions.

The OIC meeting titled "Girls’ Education in Islamic Societies" was held on January 11 and 12 in Islamabad, with over 20 foreign ministers from Islamic countries, Islamic scholars, and international organizations participating in the event.