Les Talibans abolissent le droit des femmes en Afghanistan

 

by Leticia Cox

Taliban est devenu un synonyme d’élimination des femmes. Taliban est aussi devenu un autre mot pour évoquer la dégradation des conditions de vie, de la place et du rôle de la femme dans la société, et plus généralement de l’absence d’éducation ou de travail pour les femmes en dehors des tâches ménagères et de la procréation. Les talibans sont synonymes de privation des droits humains fondamentaux des femmes, qui vivent dans la peur, sans qu’aucune forme de dignité ne leur soit reconnue.

La plupart des Afghans, y compris certains talibans, ne sont pas favorables à l’exclusion des femmes et des filles du système éducatif et s’inquiètent sérieusement des conséquences pour l’ensemble du pays. Après l’annonce par les talibans de l’interdiction de l’accès des femmes à l’université, les étudiants ont abandonné leurs examens en signe de protestation contre la décision des talibans, et plusieurs professeurs ont démissionné. Des pays musulmans, tels que la Turquie, l’Arabie saoudite, le Pakistan et le Qatar, ont exprimé leurs inquiétudes face à l’interdiction de l’accès à l’université et ont exhorté les autorités talibanes à revenir sur leur décision. Depuis des décennies, le rôle de la charia est de plus en plus contesté dans le monde entier. La Cour européenne des droits de l’homme de Strasbourg (CEDH) a statué dans plusieurs affaires que la charia était « en conflit avec les principes fondamentaux de la démocratie ». Certaines pratiques traditionnelles entraînent de graves violations des droits de l’Homme, notamment en ce qui concerne les femmes et leur liberté d’éducation.

Les Talibans, connus sous le nom de Talib qui signifie « étudiant », ont cherché à mettre fin au règne des seigneurs de la guerre en Afghanistan par une adhésion plus stricte à la charia. Ils dirigèrent le pays de 1996 à 2001 sous le nom d’Émirat islamique d’Afghanistan, puis de nouveau depuis août 2021. Dès leur arrivée au pouvoir, les Talibans ont aboli le ministère de la femme ; les femmes ont été progressivement retirées du milieu médiatique. Les services de santé qui leur sont offerts sont limités, leurs possibilités d’emploi sont limitées et leur droit à l’éducation leur a été retiré. Au total, ce sont dizaines de milliers de femmes étaient au chômage dans différents secteurs. Toute vie sociale leur est déniée. Les femmes ont désormais besoin d’un tuteur masculin pour parcourir plus de 50 kilomètres ou pour entreprendre des tâches de base telles que pénétrer dans les bâtiments gouvernementaux, consulter un médecin ou prendre un taxi. Elles sont interdites de presque tous les emplois, à l’exception des professions médicales et, depuis mercredi, de l’enseignement. Les femmes ne peuvent plus non plus se rendre dans les parcs publics. L’interdiction faite par les talibans aux femmes et aux jeunes filles de s’instruire a condamné définitivement les Afghanes à un avenir plus sombre et sans perspectives d’avenir.

L’annonce récente des talibans de suspendre immédiatement et jusqu’à nouvel ordre l’accès des femmes aux universités du pays constitue une nouvelle étape dans la violation flagrante de l’égalité des droits de l’homme et de la femme consacrée par le droit international, mais aussi une violation des règles religieuses. Nous nous sommes entretenu avec Ali Unsal, écrivain, enseignant-chercheur et prédicateur expérimenté, docteur en théologie et en jurisprudence islamiques. Il a étudié dans les meilleures écoles de théologie de Turquie et vécut plusieurs années aux États-Unis, où il approfondit ses études et son expérience académique et professionnelle en s’engageant auprès des Américains musulmans et non musulmans par le biais de séminaires, d’ateliers, de conseils, de services communautaires locaux et d’écrits académiques. Il a dirigé l’Institut d’études islamiques et turques (IITS) à Fairfax, en Virginie. Le Dr Unsal organise différents séminaires et des discussions avec des universitaires de différents pays, et il parle couramment l’anglais, le turc, l’arabe, le dialecte indonésien et le tatar.

« Le premier commandement de l’islam est : lisez. L’islam exhorte les hommes et les femmes à rechercher la connaissance. Si le Coran s’adresse aux êtres humains, il conseille aux hommes comme aux femmes d’acquérir des connaissances, de trouver la vérité, de révéler et de développer leur propre potentiel et de devenir des êtres humains parfaits », a affirmé le docteur Ali Unsal, titulaire d’un doctorat en théologie islamique, lors d’une récente interview pour Broken Chalk. Selon le Dr Unsal, le prophète Mahomet lui-même a encouragé l’éducation et l’instruction des filles, qui ont été particulièrement méprisées et sous-estimées au cours de l’Histoire. « Par exemple, dans l’un de ses hadiths, Quiconque élève et discipline deux filles jusqu’à ce qu’elles atteignent l’âge adulte, sera à nos côtés le jour du jugement », explique le Dr Unsal. « Lorsque des femmes sont venues le voir pour lui dire qu’il enseignait constamment aux hommes dans la mosquée et transmettait le message d’Allah, mais que les femmes en étaient privées, il leur a accordé un temps spécial et leur a donné une sorte d’éducation. « Aïcha, l’épouse du prophète Mahomet, est devenue l’une des plus éminentes érudites de son temps. Tout le monde venait apprendre d’elle ce qui lui manquait. Dans l’Histoire de l’islam, les femmes ont occupé une place importante dans la vie scientifique et culturelle. La poursuite de l’éducation dans une structure non officielle dans le monde islamique et l’attachement au maître plutôt qu’à l’école ont permis aux femmes de recevoir plus facilement l’enseignement des savants de leur entourage. Parmi les maîtres de Tâceddin es-Subki, l’un des grands savants islamiques, qui ont écouté et appris des hadiths, 19 femmes sont mentionnées. Suyûtî a appris des hadiths de 33 femmes, İbn-i Hacer de 53 et İbn-i Asâkir de 80 d’entre elles», poursuit le Dr Unsal.

Plusieurs sources médiatiques ont fait état de la présence de forces talibanes devant les universités de Kaboul depuis l’interdiction, empêchant les femmes d’entrer dans les bâtiments tout en permettant aux hommes d’y pénétrer et de terminer leur travail. Le ministre de l’enseignement supérieur, Nida Mohammad Nadim, ancien gouverneur de province, chef de la police et commandant militaire, s’oppose fermement à l’éducation des femmes, estimant qu’elle va à l’encontre des valeurs islamiques et afghanes. Le ministre Nadim a également déclaré aux médias que l’interdiction était nécessaire pour plusieurs raisons : empêcher la mixité dans les universités car les femmes ne respectent pas le code vestimentaire, parce que les étudiantes allaient dans d’autres provinces et vivaient sans leur famille, et parce que l’étude de certains sujets et les cours enseignés violaient les principes de l’islam. Ces raisons ne semblent pas convaincantes pour l’opinion publique mondiale. Le 24 août de l’année dernière, les ministres des affaires étrangères du G7 – réunissant l’Allemagne, le Canada, les États-Unis d’Amérique, la France, l’Italie, le Japon et le Royaume-Uni – ont exhorté les talibans à revenir sur l’interdiction de l’éducation des femmes, avertissant que « la persécution fondée sur le sexe peut constituer un crime contre l’humanité qui fera l’objet de poursuites judiciaires. » (verbatim).

« À mon avis, cela n’a rien à voir avec l’islam », nous a affirmé le Dr Unsal durant notre entretien. « Parce que cela va totalement à l’encontre des traditions pachtounes. Selon les mœurs locales, une femme ne doit rester à la maison, ne faire que la cuisine, ne donner naissance à un enfant et ne pas sortir que si c’est absolument nécessaire. Cela n’a rien à voir avec l’islam. Car la femme du prophète elle-même était une grande femme d’affaires. Les femmes étaient présentes dans tous les domaines de la vie sociale. Au marché, à la mosquée. Le calife Omar a nommé une femme, Sifa, comme inspectrice pour superviser le bazar ».

« À mon avis, il peut y avoir deux raisons à ces mesures restrictives », nous a détaillé le Dr Unsal. « D’une part, ces hommes n’ont aucune expérience de l’État. Ils ne sont pas en mesure d’interpréter correctement la dynamique de la société. Ils ont encore une mentalité tribale. Cela les pousse à mener une politique nocive et nuisible au collectif puisqu’ils peuvent pas englober tous les segments de la société. Le second est une sorte de changement de perspective ou une sorte d’ignorance. Ils interprètent l’Islam en fonction de leur propre culture tribale. Malheureusement, cette interprétation est à la fois contraire à l’universalité de l’Islam et est loin de répondre aux besoins des temps modernes. C’est pourquoi ils agissent avec une interprétation radicale et marginale. »

Dans tout le pays, les talibans ont interdit aux filles d’aller à l’école au-delà de la sixième année, ont empêché les femmes de travailler et leur ont ordonné de porter une burqa ou un vêtement de la tête aux pieds en public. Les femmes ont également été interdites dans les parcs et les gymnases.

« De nombreuses jeunes filles sont traumatisées lorsqu’elles sont détenues. Certaines familles qui ont fait l’objet de reportages ont déclaré que leur fille pleurait constamment et qu’elle ne pouvait pas être réconfortée. Les jeunes et les familles sont inquiets pour leur avenir », affirme le Dr Unsal.

« Nos sœurs et nos hommes ont les mêmes droits ; ils pourront bénéficier de leurs droits. Bien sûr, dans le cadre qui est le nôtre », a déclaré en janvier dernier Zabihullah Mujahid, porte-parole et vice-ministre de l’Information du gouvernement taliban.

Malgré les promesses initiales d’une charia plus modérée et du respect des droits des femmes, les talibans ont mis en œuvre leur interprétation de la loi islamique (charia) depuis qu’ils ont pris le contrôle du pays en août 2021, et des preuves montrant que les talibans violent ce droit fondamental à l’égalité des sexes continuent d’apparaître aux yeux du monde entier.

Husna Jalal a fui l’Afghanistan en août de l’année dernière, après la prise de contrôle de la ville de Kaboul par les talibans. Elle a travaillé pendant quatre ans à Kaboul après avoir obtenu son diplôme universitaire, mais comme de nombreuses femmes afghanes qui travaillent, elle avait prédit que la charia stricte serait mise en œuvre peu après la prise du pays par les talibans.

« Il n’y a aucune justification religieuse ou culturelle à cela », a déclaré Husna Jalal, 26 ans, diplômée en sciences politiques à Kaboul. « C’est déchirant de voir mes sœurs violer leurs droits humains fondamentaux. Je les ai vues défiler dans les rues en réclamant la liberté et l’égalité, et j’ai vu les forces de sécurité talibanes utiliser la violence pour disperser le groupe et les empêcher d’exercer leur liberté d’expression. Les gens du monde entier doivent élever la voix pour mes sœurs ; les talibans nous ont ôté tous nos espoirs. »

Husna Jalal est explicite en ce qui concerne l’aide que peut apporter la communauté internationale :    « Les femmes afghanes sont fatiguées de parler et de partager leurs histoires avec la presse et les organisations étrangères. Elles ont l’impression que personne ne les aidera ou ne peut les aider. » Selon le professeur Jalal, arrêté le 8 janvier dernier par le régime taliban pour avoir critiqué le régime, « l’Union Européenne devrait cesser de financer les activités des talibans. Les enfants des familles talibanes dans les universités étrangères devraient être renvoyés en Afghanistan pour y étudier. Les donateurs internationaux devraient quant à eux identifier et exercer l’influence qu’ils ont sur les talibans, que ce soit par des sanctions diplomatiques, des sanctions économiques, de l’aide, des pressions politiques ou d’autres moyens. Ils devraient s’en servir pour faire pression en faveur d’engagements concrets en matière de droits des femmes, qui soient significatifs pour les femmes et les jeunes filles et mesurables par le biais d’un suivi. »

Toutefois, selon le Dr Unsal, les sanctions des donateurs internationaux risqueraient d’avoir des effets limités : « Les Talibans ont un caractère tenace et rude. Leur argumentaire est le suivant : ‘Ne vous mêlez pas de nos affaires intérieures’. Le mieux serait que les sociétés musulmanes, telles que l’Organisation de la conférence islamique ou l’Organisation de la coopération islamique, ou encore les communautés d’érudits islamiques, agissent en collaboration avec les organisations de défense des droits de l’homme, ce qui permettrait d’obtenir des résultats plus rapides. »

« Par ailleurs, certains pays avec lesquels les talibans, certes non pas ceux du monde occidental mais du monde islamique, peuvent coopérer, peuvent contribuer à apaiser cette tension par l’intermédiaire de leurs universitaires. En outre, certaines universités ou organisations internationales peuvent offrir des possibilités de formation et proposer des conférences, des cours et des diplômes gratuits. », a suggéré le Dr Unsal.

L’éducation est un droit de l’homme internationalement reconnu, essentiel à la croissance économique et à la stabilité de l’Afghanistan. Les Talibans sont tenus, en vertu du droit international et de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme, de respecter pleinement les droits des femmes. L’Afghanistan a ratifié la Convention sur l’élimination de toutes les formes de discrimination à l’égard des femmes en 2003. Les Talibans héritent des obligations de l’Afghanistan en vertu de cette convention, notamment celle de « poursuivre par tous les moyens appropriés et sans retard une politique tendant à éliminer la discrimination à l’égard des femmes ».

La conclusion du Dr Unsal est claire : « La moitié de la société est composée d’hommes et l’autre moitié de femmes. Les filles ont donc le même droit à l’éducation que les garçons. Les femmes peuvent jouer un rôle essentiel dans tous les domaines de la vie. Dans certains domaines, elles peuvent faire mieux que les hommes. Cette décision du ministère afghan de l’éducation nationale est à la fois une violation des droits de l’Homme et un malheur pour l’Afghanistan ».

 

*La Déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme (DUDH) est un document qui fait date dans l’histoire des droits de l’Homme. Rédigée par des représentants de toutes les régions du monde, issus de milieux juridiques et culturels différents, la Déclaration a été proclamée par l’Assemblée générale des Nations unies à Paris le 10 décembre 1948 (résolution 217 A de l’Assemblée générale) comme l’idéal commun à atteindre par tous les peuples et toutes les nations. Elle énonce, pour la première fois, les droits fondamentaux de l’homme qui doivent être universellement protégés et a été traduite dans plus de 500 langues. La DUDH est largement reconnue comme ayant inspiré et ouvert la voie à l’adoption de plus de soixante-dix traités relatifs aux droits de l’homme, appliqués aujourd’hui de manière permanente aux niveaux mondial et régional (tous contiennent des références à la DUDH dans leur préambule).

 

 

 

 References;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001–2021)

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/talibans-higher-education-minister-defends-ban-on-women-from-universities

https://www.ohchr.org/en/countries/afghanistan

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/afghan-women-weep-over-university-ban-as-taliban-begin-enforcement

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11451718

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/mar/10/robbed-of-hope-afghan-girls-denied-an-education-struggle-with-depression

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/12/03/asia/afghanistan-taliban-decree-womens-rights-intl/index.html

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/20/asia/taliban-bans-women-university-education-intl/index.html

https://www.right-to-education.org/page/campaign

https://www.unesco.org/en/education/right-education/campaign

https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/09/02/how-international-community-can-protect-afghan-women-and-girls

 

 

La perversa abolición de los derechos de las mujeres en Afganistán por parte de los talibanes

por Leticia Cox

Talibán significa represión de las mujeres. Talibán significa degradar las cualidades, el lugar y el papel de una mujer en la sociedad. Talibán significa que las mujeres no tienen educación ni trabajo aparte de las tareas domésticas y la crianza de los hijos. Talibán significa privación de los derechos humanos fundamentales de las mujeres, que viven con miedo y sin dignidad.

La mayoría de los afganos, incluidos algunos talibanes, no apoyan la exclusión de mujeres y niñas del sistema educativo y están seriamente preocupados por las consecuencias para toda la nación.

Después del anuncio de los talibanes de prohibir la entrada a las mujeres a la universidad, los estudiantes universitarios varones se retiraron de su examen en protesta contra la decisión de los talibanes y varios profesores varones renunciaron.

Los países musulmanes, como Turquía, Arabia Saudita, Pakistán y Qatar, expresaron su pesar por la prohibición de las universidades e instaron a las autoridades talibanes a retirar su decisión.

“No hay justificación religiosa o cultural para ello”, dijo Husna Jalal, de 26 años, graduada en Ciencias Políticas de Kabul.

Jalal huyó de Afganistán en agosto del año pasado después de que los talibanes tomaron la ciudad de Kabul. Jalal ha estado trabajando durante cuatro años en Kabul después de graduarse de la universidad, pero como muchas trabajadoras afganas predijeron que la estricta sharia se implementaría poco después de que los talibanes tomaran el control del país.

“Es desgarrador ver a mis hermanas siendo violadas en sus derechos humanos fundamentales. Las vi marchar por las calles reclamando libertad e igualdad, y cómo las fuerzas de seguridad talibanes usaban violencia para disolver el grupo e impedir que ejercieran su libertad de expresión. “, dijo Jalal. “La gente de todo el mundo necesita alzar la voz por mis hermanas; los talibanes se han llevado todas nuestras esperanzas”.

Los talibanes, conocidos como Talib, que buscaron acabar con el caudillismo en Afganistán a través de una adhesión más estricta a la sharia desde 1996, tomaron el control de Afganistán como el Emirato Islámico de Afganistán por la fuerza en 2021.

Durante décadas, el papel de la Sharia se ha convertido en un tema cada vez más controvertido en todo el mundo. El Tribunal Europeo Internacional de Derechos Humanos de Estrasburgo (TEDH) dictaminó en varios casos que la Sharia está “en conflicto con los principios fundamentales de la democracia”. Algunas de las prácticas tradicionales implican graves violaciones de los derechos humanos, especialmente de las mujeres y su libertad de educación.

Cuando llegaron los talibanes, abolieron el Ministerio de la Mujer. Las mujeres fueron retiradas gradualmente de las pantallas de televisión. Decenas de miles de mujeres estaban desempleadas en diferentes ramas. Se les prohibió ir a cualquier lugar que excediera los 72 km sin un mahram. Las mujeres están siendo apartadas de la vida social. Los servicios de salud que se les ofrecen son limitados, sus oportunidades de empleo son limitadas y se les ha quitado el derecho a la educación.

El reciente anuncio de los talibanes de suspender inmediatamente hasta nuevo aviso a las mujeres de las universidades de todo el país es una flagrante violación de sus derechos humanos iguales consagrados en múltiples tratados internacionales en todo el mundo.

“El primer mandamiento del Islam es “leer”. El Islam incita tanto a hombres como a mujeres a buscar el conocimiento. Si bien el Corán se dirige a los seres humanos, aconseja a hombres y mujeres que obtengan conocimiento, que encuentren la verdad, revelen y desarrollen su propio potencial y que se conviertan en seres humanos perfectos”, dijo el doctor Ali Unsal, titular de un doctorado en Teología Islámica, en una entrevista reciente para Broken Chalk.

El Dr. Ali Unsal es un escritor, investigador, profesor y predicador experimentado con una sólida formación en teología islámica y jurisprudencia islámica. El Dr. Unsal obtuvo su doctorado en Teología Islámica y su Maestría y Licenciatura en Divinidad de las mejores escuelas de divinidad en Turquía. Ha vivido en los EE. UU. durante varios años, donde mejoró sus estudios académicos y profesionales y su experiencia al relacionarse con estadounidenses musulmanes y no musulmanes a través de seminarios, talleres, asesoramiento, servicios comunitarios locales y redacción académica. Dirigió el Instituto de Estudios Islámicos y Turcos (IITS) en Fairfax, VA.

El Dr. Unsal organiza paneles, seminarios y debates con académicos de diferentes países y habla con fluidez inglés, turco, árabe, bahasa indonesio y tártaro.

Según el Dr. unsal, Hz. Mahoma fomentó la educación y crianza de las niñas, especialmente despreciadas e infravaloradas a lo largo de la historia. “Por ejemplo, en uno de sus hadices, “Quien críe y castigue a dos niñas hasta que lleguen a la edad adulta, estaremos junto a esa persona en el Día del Juicio”, explica el Dr. Unsal.

“Cuando las mujeres se acercaron a él y le dijeron que constantemente enseñaba a los hombres en la mezquita y transmitía el mensaje de Alá, pero que las mujeres estaban privadas de esto, les dio un tiempo especial y les dio una especie de educación.

Hz. Aisha, la esposa de Mahoma, se convirtió en una de las eruditas más destacadas de su sociedad con lo que aprendió de ella. Todos vendrían y aprenderían de él lo que se estaba perdiendo. En la historia del Islam, las mujeres ocuparon un lugar significativo en la vida científica y cultural. La educación continua en una estructura no oficial en el mundo islámico y estar unida al maestro en lugar de a la escuela facilitó que las mujeres recibieran educación de académicos en sus círculos cercanos. Entre los maestros de Tâceddin es-Subki, uno de los grandes eruditos islámicos, que escuchó y aprendió hadices, se mencionan 19 mujeres. Suyûtî aprendió hadices de 33, İbn-i Hacer de 53 e İbn-i Asâkir de 80 mujeres”, dijo el Dr. Unsal.

El 24 de agosto del año pasado, los ministros de Relaciones Exteriores del grupo de estados G-7 -un foro político intergubernamental- instaron a los talibanes a retractarse de las prohibiciones a la educación de las mujeres, advirtiendo que “la persecución de género puede constituir un crimen de lesa humanidad que será procesado”. .”

Varias fuentes de los medios informaron que las fuerzas talibanes se situaron afuera de las universidades de Kabul desde la prohibición para impidir que las mujeres ingresaran a los edificios mientras permitían que los hombres entraran y terminaran su trabajo.

El Ministro de Educación Superior, Nida Mohammad Nadim, ex gobernador provincial, jefe de policía y comandante militar se opone firmemente a la educación de las mujeres y dice que va en contra de los valores islámicos y afganos.

“En mi opinión, no tiene nada que ver con el Islam”, dijo el Dr. Unsal. “Porque va totalmente en contra de las tradiciones de pashtun. En esa tradición, una mujer solo debe quedarse en casa, cocinar su comida, dar a luz a un niño y no salir a menos que sea necesario. Esto no tiene nada que ver con el Islam. Porque la esposa del Profeta, Hatice, era una gran mujer de negocios. Las mujeres estaban presentes en todos los ámbitos de la vida social. En el mercado, en la mezquita. Hz. Ömer nombró a una mujer llamada Şifa como inspectora para supervisar el bazar”.

El ministro Nadim también dijo a los medios que la prohibición era necesaria por varias razones: para evitar la mezcla de géneros en las universidades, porque las mujeres no cumplían con el código de vestimenta, que las estudiantes se iban a otras provincias y vivían sin sus familias, y porque el estudio de materias y cursos específicos que se enseñan viola los principios del Islam. Estas razones no parecen convincentes para la opinión pública mundial.

¿Por qué los talibanes restringen la educación de las mujeres? El Islam no niega la educación a las mujeres, ¿por qué los talibanes sí?

“En mi opinión, podría haber dos razones”, explica el Dr. Unsal. “Primero, no hay experiencia estatal. No pueden leer correctamente la dinámica de la sociedad. Todavía tienen una mentalidad tribal. Esto los hace hacer cosas muy malas. No pueden abarcar todos los segmentos de la sociedad.

La segunda es una especie de cambio de perspectiva o una especie de ignorancia. Interpretan el Islam de acuerdo con su propia cultura tribal. Desafortunadamente, esto es contrario a la universalidad del Islam y está lejos de responder a las necesidades de los tiempos modernos. Por tanto, actúan con una interpretación radical y marginal”.

Por todo el país, los talibanes han prohibido que las niñas asistan a la escuela más allá del sexto grado, han bloqueado a las mujeres de sus trabajos y les han ordenado que usen burka o ropa de pies a cabeza en público. Las mujeres también han sido prohibidas en parques y gimnasios.

“Muchas niñas quedan traumatizadas cuando las retienen. Algunas familias en las noticias dicen que su hija llora constantemente y no pueden consolarlas. Los jóvenes y las familias están preocupados por su futuro”, dijo el Dr. Unsal.

“Nuestras hermanas, nuestros hombres tienen los mismos derechos; podrán beneficiarse de sus derechos… por supuesto, dentro de los marcos que tenemos”, dijo el portavoz talibán Zabihullah Mujahid.

A pesar de las promesas iniciales de una regla Sharia más moderada y de respetar los derechos de las mujeres, los talibanes han implementado su interpretación de la ley islámica/Sharia desde que tomaron el control en agosto de 2021, y siguen surgiendo pruebas de que los talibanes están violando los derechos de las mujeres.

Entonces, ¿cómo puede la comunidad internacional ayudar a las mujeres de Afganistán?

“La UE debería dejar de financiar el negocio de los talibanes. Los niños de familias talibanes deberían ser enviados de regreso a Afganistán para estudiar allí, no en el extranjero, dijo Jalal.

“Los patrocinadores internacionales deberían identificar y ejercer la influencia que tienen sobre los talibanes, ya sea a través de sanciones diplomáticas, sanciones económicas, ayuda, presión política y otros medios. Deberían usarla para presionar por compromisos concretos sobre los derechos de las mujeres que serán significativos para mujeres y niñas y medible a través de una supervision”, dijo Jalal.

Según el Dr. Unsal, las sanciones de los patrocinadores internacionales no podrían funcionar. Los talibanes tienen un carácter firme y resistente. Lo correcto sería que las sociedades musulmanas, como la organización de la Conferencia Islámica o la Organización de Cooperación Islámica o las comunidades de eruditos islámicos, hagan algo en colaboración con las organizaciones de derechos humanos para poder arrojar resultados más rápidos.

“Los talibanes están preocupados por las críticas del mundo a sus decisiones para su sociedad y la demanda de que se corrijan sus errores. Dicen: ‘No interfieran en nuestros asuntos internos'”.

Algunas universidades y organizaciones internacionales podrían ofrecer oportunidades de formacion, conferencias, cursos y diplomas gratuitos.

Otra cosa es que algunos países con los que los talibanes, no del mundo occidental, sino del mundo islámico, pueden cooperar pueden ayudar a aliviar esta tensión a través de sus eruditos”, sugirió el Dr. Unsal.

“Las mujeres en Afganistán están cansadas de hablar y compartir sus historias con la prensa y las organizaciones extranjeras. Sienten que nadie va a ayudar o no puede ayudar”, dijo Jalal.

La educación es un derecho humano reconocido internacionalmente y esencial para el crecimiento económico y la estabilidad de Afganistán. Los talibanes están obligados por el derecho internacional y la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos a respetar plenamente los derechos de las mujeres. Afganistán ratificó la Convención sobre la eliminación de todas las formas de discriminación contra la mujer (CEDAW) en 2003.

Los talibanes heredan las obligaciones de Afganistán en virtud de esa Convención, incluida la “seguir por todos los medios apropiados y sin demora una política de eliminación de la discriminación contra la mujer”.

Las mujeres ahora necesitan un tutor masculino para viajar más de 48 millas o para realizar tareas básicas como entrar a edificios gubernamentales, ver a un médico o cojer un taxi. Se les prohíbe casi todos los trabajos, excepto las profesiones médicas y, hasta el miércoles, la enseñanza. Las mujeres ya no pueden visitar los parques públicos.

La prohibición de los talibanes de que las mujeres y las niñas accedan a la educación ha sentenciado permanentemente a las mujeres afganas a un futuro más oscuro y sin oportunidades.

“La mitad de la sociedad está formada por hombres y la otra mitad son mujeres. Por lo tanto, las niñas tienen el mismo derecho a la educación que los niños. Hay roles vitales que las mujeres pueden desempeñar en todas las áreas de la vida. En algunas áreas, pueden hacer mejores trabajos que los hombres. Esta decisión del Ministerio de Educación Nacional de Afganistán es tanto una violación de los derechos humanos como una desgracia para Afganistán”, dijo el Dr. Unsal.

 

*La Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos (DUDH) es un documento histórico en la historia de los derechos humanos. Redactada por representantes con diferentes antecedentes legales y culturales de todas las regiones del mundo, la Declaración fue proclamada por la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas en París el 10 de diciembre de 1948 (resolución 217 A de la Asamblea General) como un estándar común de logros para todos los pueblos y todas las naciones. naciones Establece, por primera vez, los derechos humanos fundamentales que deben protegerse universalmente y ha sido traducido a más de 500 idiomas. La DUDH es ampliamente reconocida por haber inspirado y allanado el camino para la adopción de más de setenta tratados de derechos humanos, aplicados hoy en día de forma permanente a nivel mundial y regional (todos con referencias a ella en sus preámbulos).

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001–2021)

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/talibans-higher-education-minister-defends-ban-on-women-from-universities

https://www.ohchr.org/en/countries/afghanistan

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/afghan-women-weep-over-university-ban-as-taliban-begin-enforcement

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11451718

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/mar/10/robbed-of-hope-afghan-girls-denied-an-education-struggle-with-depression

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/12/03/asia/afghanistan-taliban-decree-womens-rights-intl/index.html

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/20/asia/taliban-bans-women-university-education-intl/index.html

https://www.right-to-education.org/page/campaign

https://www.unesco.org/en/education/right-education/campaign

https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/09/02/how-international-community-can-protect-afghan-women-and-girls

TALIBAN’S WICKED ABOLITION OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN AFGHANISTAN

by Leticia Cox

Taliban means suppression of women. Taliban means degrading a woman’s qualities, place and role in society. Taliban means no education or work for women other than housework and childbearing. Taliban means deprivation of women’s fundamental human rights, living in fear and without dignity.

Most Afghans, including some Taliban, do not support excluding women and girls from the education system and are seriously concerned about the consequences for the whole nation.

After the Taliban’s announcement to ban female students from university, male university students walked out of their exam in protest against the Taliban’s decision, and several male professors resigned.

Muslim countries, such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Qatar, have voiced their sorrow at the university ban and urged the Taliban authorities to withdraw their decision.

“There is no religious or cultural justification for it,” said 26-year-old Husna Jalal, a Political Sciences graduate from Kabul.

Jalal fled Afghanistan in August last year after the Taliban took over the city of Kabul. Jalal has been working for four years in Kabul after graduating from university, but like many working Afghan women predicted the strict Sharia would be implemented soon after the Taliban took over the country.

“It’s heartbreaking to see my sisters being violated of their fundamental human rights. I saw them marching in the streets crying out for freedom and equality, and how Taliban security forces used violence to break up the group and stop them from practising their freedom of speech”, said Jalal. “People worldwide need to raise their voices for my sisters; the Taliban have taken all our hopes.”

The Taliban, known as the Talib, who sought to end warlordism in Afghanistan through stricter adherence to Sharia since 1996, took control of Afghanistan as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan by force in 2021.

For decades, the role of Sharia has become an increasingly contested topic worldwide. The International European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (ECHR) ruled in several cases that Sharia is “conflicting with the fundamental principles of democracy”. Some traditional practices comprise severe human rights violations, especially on women and their freedom of education.

When the Taliban came, they abolished the Ministry of Women. Women were gradually withdrawn from television screens. Tens of thousands of women were unemployed in different branches. They were forbidden to go anywhere exceeding 72 km without a mahram. Women are being pulled out of social life. The health services offered to them are limited, their employment opportunities are limited, and their right to education has been taken away.

Taliban’s recent announcement to immediately suspend until further notice women from universities across the country is a blatant violation of their human equal rights consecrated in multiple international treaties worldwide.

“The first commandment of Islam is “read”. Islam urges both men and women to seek knowledge. While the Qur’an addresses human beings, it advises men and women to gain knowledge, find the truth, reveal and develop their own potential, and become perfect human beings,” said PhD holder from Islamic Theology, Dr Ali Unsal in a recent interview for Broken Chalk.

Dr Ali Unsal is an experienced writer, researcher, teacher, and preacher with a strong background in Islamic Theology and Islamic Jurisprudence. Dr Unsal earned his PhD in Islamic Theology and Master and Bachelor of Divinity from top divinity schools in Turkey. He has lived in the US for several years, where he enhanced his academic and professional studies and experience by engaging with both Muslim and non-Muslim Americans via seminars, workshops, counselling, local community services and academic writing. He headed the Institute of Islamic and Turkish Studies (IITS) in Fairfax, VA.

Dr Unsal organizes panels, seminars and discussions with academicians from different countries, and he is fluent in English, Turkish, Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia and Tatar.

According to Dr unsal, Hz. Muhammad encouraged the education and upbringing of girls, who were especially despised and undervalued throughout history. “For example, in one of his Hadiths, “Whoever raises and disciplines two girls until they reach adulthood, we will be together with that person on the Day of Judgment,” explains Dr Unsal.

“When women came to him and said that he constantly taught men in the mosque and conveyed the message of Allah, but that women were deprived of this, he gave them a special time and gave them a kind of education.

Hz. Aisha, the wife of Muhammad, became one of the most prominent scholars of her society with what she learned from her. Everyone would come and learn from him what he was missing. In the history of Islam, women occupied a significant place in scientific and cultural life. Continuing education in an unofficial structure in the Islamic world and being attached to the teacher rather than to the school made it easier for women to receive education from scholars in their close circles. Among the masters of Tâceddin es-Subki, one of the great Islamic scholars, who listened and learned hadiths, 19 women are mentioned. Suyûtî learned hadith from 33, İbn-i Hacer 53 and İbn-i Asâkir 80 women,” said Dr Unsal.

On August 24th last year, the foreign ministers of the G-7 group of states – an intergovernmental political forum- urged the Taliban to retract the bans on women’s education, warning that “gender persecution may amount to a crime against humanity that will be prosecuted.”

Several media sources reported Taliban forces outside Kabul universities since the ban, stopping women from entering the buildings while allowing men to go in and finish their work.

The Minister of Higher Education, Nida Mohammad Nadim, a former provincial governor, police chief and military commander stands firmly against women’s education, saying it is against Islamic and Afghan values.

“In my opinion, it has nothing to do with Islam,” said Dr Unsal. “Because it totally goes against Pashtun traditions. In that tradition, a woman should only stay at home, cook her food, give birth to a child, and not go out unless necessary. This has nothing to do with Islam. Because the Prophet’s wife, Hatice, was a big businesswoman. Women were present in all areas of social life. In the market, in the mosque. Hz. Ömer appointed a woman named Şifa as an inspector to supervise the bazaar.”

Minister Nadim also told the media that the ban was necessary for several reasons:  to prevent the mixing of genders in universities, that women did not comply with the dress code, that female students went to other provinces and lived without their families, and because the study of specific subjects and courses being taught violated the principles of Islam. These reasons do not seem convincing to the world’s public opinion.

Why does the Taliban restrict women’s education? Islam Doesn’t Deny Women Education, So Why Does the Taliban?

“In my opinion, there could be two reasons.,” explains Dr Unsal. “First, there is no state experience. They cannot read the dynamics of society correctly. They still have a tribal mentality. This makes them do very wrong things. They cannot embrace all segments of society.

The second is a kind of shift of perspective or a kind of ignorance. They interpret Islam in line with their own tribal culture. Unfortunately, this is both contrary to the universality of Islam and far from responding to the needs of modern times. Therefore, they act with a radical and marginal interpretation.”

Across the country, the Taliban have banned girls from school beyond the sixth grade, blocked women from their jobs and ordered them to wear a burqa or head-to-toe clothing in public. Women have also been banned from parks and gyms.

“Many young girls are traumatized when held. Some families in the news say that their daughter is constantly crying and cannot be comforted. Young people and families are worried about their future,” said Dr Unsal.

“Our sisters, our men have the same rights; they will be able to benefit from their rights … of course, within the frameworks that we have,” said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. Despite initial promises to a more moderate Sharia rule and to respect women’s rights, the Taliban have implemented their interpretation of Islamic law/Sharia since they took control in August 2021, and evidence continues to emerge that the Taliban are violating the rights of women.

 So how can the international community help Afghanistan females?

“EU should stop funding the Taliban’s business. Children from Taliban families should be sent back to Afghanistan to study there, not abroad, said Jalal.

“International donors should identify and exert the leverage they have on the Taliban, whether it’s through diplomatic sanctions, economic sanctions, aid, political pressure, and other means. They should use it to press for concrete commitments on women’s rights that will be meaningful to women and girls and measurable through monitoring,” said Jalal.

According to Dr Unsal, sanctions from international donors might not work. The Taliban has a holding and rugged character. The correct thing would be that Muslim societies, such as the organization of the Islamic Conference or Organisation of Islamic Cooperation or the communities of Islamic scholars do something in collaboration with human rights organizations which will yield faster results.

“The Taliban are disturbed by the world’s criticism of their decisions for their society and the demand for their mistakes to be corrected. They say, “Don’t interfere in our internal affairs”.

Some international universities or organizations may offer training opportunities and provide free lectures, courses and diplomas.

Another thing is that some countries with which the Taliban, not from the Western world, but from the Islamic world, can cooperate can help ease this tension through their scholars,” suggested Dr Unsal.

“Women in Afghanistan are tired of talking and sharing their stories with the foreign press and organizations. They feel like no one is going to help or can’t help,” said Jalal.

Education is an internationally recognized human right essential to Afghanistan’s economic growth and stability. The Taliban are obliged under International Law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to respect women’s rights fully. Afghanistan ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 2003.

The Taliban inherits Afghanistan’s obligations under that Convention, including “pursuing by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating discrimination against women.

Women now need a male guardian to travel more than 48 miles or to undertake basic tasks such as entering government buildings, seeing a doctor or taking a taxi. They are banned from nearly all jobs except medical professions and, until Wednesday, teaching. Women also can no longer visit public parks.

Taliban’s ban on women and girls from education has permanently sentenced Afghan females to a darker future without opportunities.

“Half of society consists of men, and the other half is women. Therefore, girls have the same right to education as boys. There are vital roles that women can play in all areas of life. In some areas, they can do better jobs than men. This decision of the Ministry of National Education of Afghanistan is both a violation of human rights and a misfortune for Afghanistan,” said Dr Unsal.

 

*The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages. The UDHR is widely recognized as having inspired, and paved the way for, the adoption of more than seventy human rights treaties, applied today on a permanent basis at global and regional levels (all containing references to it in their preambles). 

  

 References;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001–2021)

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/talibans-higher-education-minister-defends-ban-on-women-from-universities

https://www.ohchr.org/en/countries/afghanistan

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/afghan-women-weep-over-university-ban-as-taliban-begin-enforcement

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11451718

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/mar/10/robbed-of-hope-afghan-girls-denied-an-education-struggle-with-depression

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/12/03/asia/afghanistan-taliban-decree-womens-rights-intl/index.html

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/20/asia/taliban-bans-women-university-education-intl/index.html

https://www.right-to-education.org/page/campaign

https://www.unesco.org/en/education/right-education/campaign

https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/09/02/how-international-community-can-protect-afghan-women-and-girls

 

 

Summary of the Education Under Attack 2022 Report

In 2020 and 2021, education continued to face various types of aggression in several countries. Students, teachers, schools, and universities encountered harmful and wrongful acts committed either by armed groups or generated by political circumstances, such as wars and armed conflicts. Numerous incidents of atrocities were reported to be committed against thousands of students, staff members, and teachers. The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) identified many attacks that resulted in the abduction, injury, or death of thousands of students and educators who were kept as hostages or were arrested. Other acts of violence also took a place, such recruiting and training children to participate in armed conflicts, sexual violence, and the use of heavy arms and explosives against hostages.

 

The Education under Attack 2022 report by GCPEA[i] reviews the challenges many countries’ education systems face, as well as how students, teachers, and staff members in education are affected by such issues, what kind of dangers they are subjected to, and why, in many cases, their studies or career are interrupted.

 

According to this report, more schools suffer from violent actions and attacks compared to universities. Moreover, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, schools became easier targets for state militaries and other armed groups to occupy, as remote teaching left the buildings empty. Consequently, according to the report, the number of attacks on educational institutions increased noticeably in 2020 and 2021, but the number of people affected by these attacks declined. According to the GCPEA, this can be explained by the decreased number of people present in school buildings due to the pandemic.

 

In the following, this article provides a summary of the Education Under Attack 2022 report’s findings on several countries where such attacks and issues occurred.

 

  • Afghanistan:

The GCPEA identified more than 130 attacks in 2020 and 2021, targeting schools in different parts of Afghanistan, where explosive weapons were used against educational institutions, and schoolteachers and students were terrorised [p.92]. Attacks were committed by groups with different profiles, such as the Afghan Air Force which bombed schools in 2020 [p.93], the ISIS in Khorasan Province, and the Taliban which increased their criminal activity in 2021 seeking territorial dominance. Moreover, after the Taliban took control of the country in May 2021 with the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, there was a significant increase in atrocities targeting different civilian groups, women, and journalists meanwhile more than 250 schools closed in Afghanistan or were exposed to military occupation [p.92]. The rise to power of the Taliban severely affected Afghan education, leaving more than 4 million children out of school, 60% of whom were girls. This is because the Taliban prohibited girls from attending schools in some of the regions under their control, although in some other areas girls were allowed to go to school. Unfortunately, the report does not give any specific explanation for the different rules on girls’ education among different regions ruled by the Taliban.

 

  • Azerbaijan:

The six-week conflict in 2020 between Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the de facto Nagorno-Karabakh security forces resulted in the destruction of more than 130 schools in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as several other schools faced obstruction due to the conflict. While the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities reported damage to more than 70 schools during the conflict, the Azerbaijani authorities reported 54 cases [p.98]. However, the Armenian authorities did not report clear numbers on school damage or attacks on educational institutions during the conflict period. According to Human Rights Watch, both Azerbaijani and Armenian forces either attacked schools using explosives or initiated air-striking targeting educational institutions. Furthermore, some schools were used as barracks or for military purposes in all territories involved, according to the GCPEA [p.99].

 

  • Burkina Faso:

Burkina Faso witnessed one of its fastest-growing crises in 2020 and 2021. A serious conflict escalated among different non-state armed groups fighting against each other as well as the state security forces. Brutality against civilians was not only committed by non-state armed groups but by security forces too who also arrested and killed many civilians whom they suspected to be associated with the non-state armed groups.

 

In Burkina Faso too, schools were easy targets for perpetrators and several schools suffered armed attacks or were reported to be occupied and used as military bases. In 2020-2021, there were more than 145 attacks on schools reported in the country according to the GCPEA, during which attacks more than 250 students and school personnel were killed, suffered injuries, or were abducted. In 2020, 70 attacks [p.101], while in 2021, 46 attacks on schools were confirmed by the UN [p.102]. However, the GCPEA identified at least 78 attacks in 2021 [p.102].

 

Higher education institutions also faced violence, but the reported number of attacks on universities was way lower than that of schools. Nevertheless, according to the GCPEA, both general education and university students experienced sexual violence while going to or coming back from their schools or universities.

 

  • Cameroon:

Attacks on schools and students are not new phenomena in Cameroon, and the period from 2020 to 2021 was no different from previous years. Attacks were committed by different armed groups, such as Boko Haram, and the ISWAP group which is a splinter group from Boko Haram in the Far-North region. [p.105].

 

In 2020 and 2021, schools were often used as military bases in different parts of the country, such as the Far North, the North-West, and the South-West regions [p.105]. Furthermore, the GCPEA confirmed more than 55 attacks on students and more than 65 attacks on schools in those two years.  However, these numbers are still significantly decreased compared to prior years, like 2019, when the number of reported attacks against students reached almost 4000 cases while teachers experienced atrocities on 1124 occasions.

 

In 2020 and 2021, cases of sexual violence and sexual abuse targeting higher education students and teachers were also reported [p.108], while in 2021, there were also several reported cases of abducting students and staff [p.109].

 

 

  • Central African Republic:

The Central African Republic experienced significant brutality associated with elections. Conflict emerged between non-state armed groups and state forces supported by pro-government allied groups. All of these conflicting parties, including the police, occupied or attacked schools during the period from 2020 to 2021 at least on 85 occasions [p.110]. The GCPEA reported 2 attacks targeting students, teachers, and academic personnel. Furthermore, the GCPEA reported 45 cases of using schools for military purposes in the highlighted period [p.111].  In 2021, the UN verified that multiple dozens of schools were occupied by different military or armed forces, but the GCPEA identified only 5 cases in the same year, which resulted in unclear numbers and information [p.112].

 

  • Colombia:

Armed conflict continued to be present in Colombia in 2020 and 2021. The conflicted parties were the Columbian government, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), and other armed groups that escalated chaos in the country in 2020. Due to these issues, accessibility to education suffered major limitations which were exacerbated by the spread of Covid-19. Because of the pandemic, large numbers of children were out of school and have become easy targets of recruiters for groups participating in the armed conflict [p.113].

 

According to GCPEA reports, at least 35 schools, mostly in rural areas, were targeted by different non-state armed groups, who often used explosives and engaged in fights with each other or with state forces near schools [p.113, 114]. Some schools ended up being used for military purposes. However, while the GCPEA identified 6 cases in the 2020 to 2021 period, the UN confirmed only 1 incident in 2020 [p.116] which makes it difficult to access clear and certain information on the number of attacks.

 

Higher education institutions were not safe from attacks either; in 2020 and 2021, 19 cases were reported [p.118]. Furthermore, the GCPEA identified more than 60 attacks targeting students and members of staff in 2020 and 2021, with most of these incidents occurring in 2020. Furthermore, 2 cases of sexual violence were reported by the GCPEA in 2021 [p.117].

 

Eventually, some teachers received threats from non-state armed groups for their involvement in teachers’ unions, while also threatening non-local teachers to keep them out of certain regions. This prompted state authorities to move some teachers to safer locations [p.115].

 

  • Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) :

Armed conflict has been significantly affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo, where clashes among state forces and 130 different non-state armed groups are spreading chaos around the country. The fighting negatively affected thousands of students and prohibited them from attending school, which was further exacerbated by the spread of Covid-19, leaving millions of students without education.

 

More than 600 attacks by armed groups on schools were confirmed by the GCPEA in 2020 and 2021. The organisation also reported on the occupation of 25 schools that were used for military purposes [p.120, 123], while higher education institutions were targeted 12 times in this period [p.124].

 

  • Ethiopia:

Ethiopia has been suffering from political-regional clashes among different governmental and non-state groups, such as the Central Government Troops, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), militias from the Amhara region, and others [p.126].

Attacks on schools committed by several different armed groups noticeably increased from 15 cases in the period 2018 to 2019 to 32 cases in the period from 2020 to 2021. Furthermore, almost 70 cases of schools used as military bases were identified by the GCPEA in 2020 and 2021. In addition, the GCPEA reported 14 incidents of proceeded attacks on higher education institutions during this period [p.129].

 

  • India:

Increasing political tension between India and Pakistan, as well as other domestic issues in India, have triggered some armed clashes and attacks in the country. In 2020 and 2021, attacks on students and teachers were reported in Jammu, Kashmir, and some eastern states more than 55 times according to GCPEA estimates. Attacks on schools included threatening, arresting, and detaining more than 1600 students and educators [p.131]. As for the military use of schools, the UN confirmed that a total of 7 schools were used for these purposes in 2020 [p.132].

The Covid-19 pandemic further exacerbated issues regarding the accessibility of education in India. The government’s measures to contain the virus and stop its spreading included shifting in-person teaching to remote education which resulted in severe negative effects on more than 290 million students [p.130]. Among other issues, many of these students did not have internet access to participate in online classes.

In the period from 2020 to 2021, students and higher education staff also encountered almost 65 attacks, 28 of which were committed by the government to suppress protests [p.133]. However, the reported number of incidents targeting higher education institutions was lower than in 2018 and 2019.

 

  • Iraq:

Iraqi educational institutions experienced an increasing number of attacks in the 2020 to 2021 period, some of which were committed by the Iraqi government itself. Several attacks targeted protestors who were demonstrating against corruption, the poor quality of public services, and low wages. In some regions of the country, teachers participated in the protests because of immense delays in receiving their wages. Multiple attacks targeted higher education students and staff too; altogether 10 cases were recognised by the GCPEA [p.137].

In 2020 and 2021, 11 attacks were reported by the GCPEA on schools used as polling centres in the Iraqi elections. Attacks were executed by planting explosive devices in schools or nearby them to disrupt the elections or to target police guarding the building [p.135]. Furthermore, the GCPEA reported the use of schools for military purposes on 33 occasions.

 

  • Kenya:

The decade-long conflict in the North-Eastern region of Kenya between the government and the Al Shabab Islamic fundamentalist armed group has spread instability across the country and negatively affected the education sector, among others.

Teachers were in particular danger in Kenya in 2020 and 2021, as the Al Shabab repeatedly attacked teachers who the group considered to be outsiders and/or Christians. This aggression led to the closing of hundreds of schools, thousands of teachers fled, while teachers originally from the area where the attacks occurred were transferred from the region. The GCPEA also recorded 5 incidents where the Al Shabab targeted students [p.139].

The GCPEA identified only 1 case of a school being used for military purposes between 2020 and 2021. However, attacks on higher education institutions reached a much higher number of 10 incidents [p.140]. These attacks were committed by the government which ordered the police to use teargas against protesters demonstrating against the government [p.141].

 

  • Libya:

In 2020, violent acts committed by non-state armed groups increasingly targeted schools and universities leading many of them to close which negatively affected more than 127,000 students. The GCPEA reported 22 attacks on schools in the period from 2020 to 2021, most of which were committed by shelling school buildings [p.142]. According to the UN, between 2019 and 2021 around 700 schools were closed because of conflict. Furthermore, 8 attacks on higher education institutions were reported by the GCPEA [p.144].

 

  • Mali:

Clashes between non-state armed groups, state forces, and international forces [p.145] continued in the 2020 to 2021 period in Mali, particularly in the northern, central, and southern territories of the country. In these 2 years, the hostility rate, and the number of victims dramatically increased: the GCPEA identified more than 620 attacks on educational facilities and teachers. Moreover, several cases of schools being used as military bases were reported by the GCPEA and the UN. There were also numerous cases of recruitment of children for armed conflict in schools which majorly reduced the willingness of parents to send their children to school [p.147].

 

  • Mozambique:

In 2020 and 2021, armed conflict continued between government forces, non-state armed groups, and the Al Shabab Islamic terrorist organisation in Mozambique. The GCPEA identified several cases of attacks on educational facilities, particularly in Delgado province, which has been the most affected by the conflict. Delgado experienced more than 100 violent attacks against schools, which led to the severe damage and destruction of educational institutions, leaving many children without access to education. However, schools in the rest of the country were not free from atrocities either: according to the UN, a minimum of 220 schools encountered violent attacks in 2021 in Mozambique [p.149]. Moreover, according to Human Rights Watch there have been incidents of kidnapping children and women, and enslaving them or sexually abusing them [p.148].

 

  • Myanmar:

The country witnessed severe political instability in the period from 2020 to 2021: a military coup overthrew the government, and in reaction to this, anti-coup protests began, while wide-scale strikes left the country in a state of chaos and insecurity.

According to the GCPEA, more than 200 attacks on schools took place, most of which included the use of explosive weapons, while using arson, bombing, and airstrikes were frequent too. Furthermore, students, teachers, and educational personnel were targeted in several attacks, while the GCPEA also confirmed more than 220 cases of schools and universities being used for military purposes [p.153].

 

  • Niger:

Conflict among several armed groups continued in Niger in 2020 and 2021, which significantly impacted the safety of the civilian population of the country. The western Tillabéri and Tahoua regions and the eastern Diffa region are the most affected by the conflict, which also affects the education sector. According to the GCPEA, more than 40 schools were attacked, threatened, or set on fire in 2020 and 2021 [p.156]. Students, teachers, and educational staff also faced violent atrocities on 17 reported occasions [p.157].

 

  • Nigeria:

Armed conflict among the state military forces, the Islamic State militias in West Africa Province, and other fragmented armed groups continued to be present in Nigeria in 2020 and 2021. The conflict seriously affected general safety in the country as well as the education sector, among others [p.159]. According to the GCPEA, 21 attacks on schools occurred in 2020 and 2021, and more than 1850 students, teachers, and educational personnel were injured, killed, or abducted. Since some of the injured or abducted students were relatives of “high-profile” personnel, the government developed stricter measures and closed more than 600 schools to prevent similar tragic incidents [p.160]. However, cases of abduction and murder targeting higher education staff and students also rose, which affected more than 100 people in 2020 and 2021 [p.162]. The GCPEA also reported multiple cases of sexual violence committed by all parties in the conflict, including state authorities, such as the police.

 

  • Pakistan:

Violent attacks targeting the education sector, as well as students, teachers, and educational staff, were committed by various actors in Pakistan. While the conflict of non-state armed groups significantly affected the education sector, the government did also stand behind some atrocities targeting protesting students and educational staff. More than 250 students, teachers, and educational staff were arrested in 2020 and 2021.

The GCPEA confirmed 7 attacks on schools by armed groups in the period from 2020 and 2021. One of these incidents was a bomb attack which injured more than 130 people and caused 7 deaths [p.164]. Moreover, higher education institutions were also terrorised: 18 attacks were reported by the GCPEA which resulted in the death of 4 female vocational trainers and the arrest of more than 140 students and staff members [p.166].

 

  • Palestine:

Clashes between Palestinian armed groups and the Israeli state authorities continued in 2020 and 2021. As a result of the conflict, 429 kindergartens, schools, and universities became victims of violent attacks according to the GCPEA. However large this number may seem, it is still less than the number of attacks committed in 2019, when the Coronavirus pandemic also severely affected the education sector [p.168].

The GCPEA reported at least 85 attacks on students and educational staff in the observed period. Intimidation, detention, and opening fire on unarmed school students and staff on the way to or from school were among the most common types of atrocities [p.171]. Furthermore, the GCPEA identified 19 attacks on higher education students, staff, and facilities too [p.173].

 

  • The Philippines:

The conflict between state forces and non-state armed groups continued in 2020 and 2021, as the Philippine government began a campaign to combat the spread and trade of illegal drugs. The armed clashes largely affected the education sector, among others, which prevented thousands of students from accessing appropriate education and educational facilities. The period from 2020 to 2021 showed a decline in the number of attacks targeting schools with only 8 attacks reported by the GCPEA, while, from 2017 to 2019, 62 attacks were recorded by the UN [p.175]. Students, teachers, and educational staff were also targeted on 5 different occasions and suffered from detention and shootings [p.176].

 

  • Somalia:

Somalia has been experiencing a series of crises in the forms of armed conflicts between non-state armed groups and international forces, political instability and poor general security, as well as natural crises, such as floods and the Covid-19 pandemic. While all of these issues severely affected the education sector, the armed conflicts were particularly damaging in 2020 and 2021, as they left over 3 million children without education. Moreover, different armed forces recruited more than 1716 boys to join fights, while many girls became victims of sexual violence [p.178].

In 2020 and 2021, the GCPEA confirmed 84 attacks on schools by using explosive weapons planted at or near schools [p.178]. Students, teachers, and educational personnel were also targeted on several occasions, and the GCPEA identified 146 abduction cases.

 

  • South Sudan:

Despite the peace agreement that was signed to settle the conflict between the government and oppositional groups and to facilitate the establishment of a transitional government, political tension continued to be present in South Sudan in 2020 and 2021. The conflict affected the education sector as well; the GCPEA identified 11 attacks in this period, which, however, were fewer than the 18 attacks committed in the period from 2018 to 2019 [p.180]. A similar declining pattern can be observed in the number of schools used for military purposes: in 2020 and 2021, only 10 cases were reported, while 35 incidents occurred in 2018 and 2019 [p.181]. Furthermore, in 2020 and 2021, the GCPEA reported an attack on a higher education facility while another targeted university students [p.182].

 

  • Sudan:

Sudan experienced political transitions in 2020 and 2021 which severely affected general safety in the country. In reaction to several issues regarding both the oppressive Sudani government and the education system, such as the lack of suitable facilities for disabled students, widespread protests started among students, teachers, and educational personnel in 2021. The government decided to apply harsh measures to suppress the uprisings: protesters were targeted in 6 attacks in the form of detention and the use of teargas according to the GCPEA.

However, not only armed conflicts disturbed the education sector in Sudan: the spread of Covid-19, natural disasters, such as floods damaging 559 schools, and food insecurity severely affected children’s education. These disasters lead to millions being in need of humanitarian assistance, and most of the victims were children according to the UN.

 

  • Syria:

As armed conflicts continue in Syria between non-state armed groups and government forces, schools still suffer numerous attacks all around the country. However, the intensity of these attacks declined in 2020 and 2021: this period recorded 85 attacks on schools according to the GCPEA, which is a significant decrease compared to the 260 recorded incidents in the previous 2 years. Most of the attacks in 2020 and 2021 occurred in the forms of shelling and air strikes in northwest Syria, in Aleppo and Idlib [p.186], however, Damascus, Homs, Al Hasaka, Deir-Ez-Zor, and Quneitra were also largely affected [p.187]. In addition, over 35 cases of schools and universities used for military purposes were reported [p.190]. Furthermore, the GCPEA also reported 17 incidents targeting students, teachers, and educational personnel, who were victims of intimidation, threats, arrests, and detention [p.188, 189].

 

  • Thailand:

Instability continued to be present in Thailand due to the non-state armed groups in the southern provinces of the country, putting people’s lives at risk. The GCPEA identified 5 attacks on schools in 2020 and 2021, while 6 attacks were reported targeting students, teachers, and educational personnel. While the exact number of attacks on schools did not change compared to the 2018 to 2019 period, attacks on students and teachers have decreased compared to previous years [p.192, 193].

In addition, atrocities targeting students and education staff have also been committed by state authorities. In the 2020 to 2021 period, the Thai police arrested students who protested against the education minister for his incompetence in preventing and appropriately handling cases of harassment and beatings in schools and kindergartens.

 

  • Turkey:

Since the 2016 coup in Turkey, several sectors, such as the media, business, and education sectors have faced drastic changes. The Turkish government has been targeting institutions, platforms, and people, who have any real or claimed connection to an Islamic scholar and American Turkish millionaire, Fetullah Gülen, who the government accuses of standing behind the coup. The education sector has particularly been affected by the government’s purges: schools and universities were shut down, thousands of teachers lost not only their jobs but also their teacher certificates, and academics have been imprisoned for alleged connections to the Gülen Movement.

In 2020 and 2021, the GCPEA confirmed 3 attacks on schools [p.194], while school students, teachers, and education personnel were also attacked on 3 occasions. Using schools for military purposes reached a minimum of 7 cases which indicates an increase compared to previous years [p.195]. One case of sexual violence was also confirmed by the GCPEA in the 2020 to 2021 period. As for attacks on higher educational institutions, a total of 30 incidents were reported resulting in the injury or arrest of more than 600 university students. Most of these attacks and arrests targeted students, teachers, and educational staff who were participating in education-related protests [p.196].

 

  • Ukraine:

The eastern part of the country experienced shelling and small armed clashes on several occasions in 2020 and 2021. These attacks resulted in the destruction of several schools: 30 attacks were identified by the GCPEA in that period, which damaged a total of 25 schools. The number of attacks shows an increase compared to the 2018 to 2019 period [p.198].

As for attacks on students, teachers, and educational personnel, 5 incidents were identified by the GCPEA in 2020 and 2021. This number marks a decrease compared to incidents reported from 2018 to 2019, which were a total of 15 cases [p.199].

 

  • Yemen:

The intensity of the conflict in Yemen increased in 2020 and 2021 and clashes between state forces and non-state armed groups escalated. The GCPEA reported 48 attacks on schools in that period, in the form of air strikes, shelling, and the use of explosives [p.200]. As for attacks on students, teachers, and education staff, the GCPEA reported 13 large-scale cases one of which included the abduction and assault of more than 100 students and teachers [p.201].

The rate of using schools and universities for military purposes was particularly high as 49 of these cases were reported by the GCPEA in the 2020 to 2021 period. Furthermore, the GCPEA identified 20 schools where armed groups were recruiting and training children for fighting [p.203]. The GCPEA also identified 10 cases of attacks on higher education facilities and 14 attacks targeting higher education students and teachers [p.204].

 

Written by:

Noor Mousa 13/07/2022

Edited by:

Johanna Farkas

[i] Education Under Attack. Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack. 2022. https://protectingeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/eua_2022.pdf

Girls Education after the Collapse of Kabul on 15th of August

During the peace talks in Doha in 2020, the Taliban emphasized the importance of education in several statements ‘because this is the basic right of all Afghans.’ They also wanted to ‘guarantee all human and legal rights of every child, woman, and man.’ In this, the Taliban presented themselves as a progressive force in favor of education for all citizens of Afghanistan, regardless of gender, even though in areas held under Taliban control, up until their recent resurgence, their record for girls’ education was poor and inconsistent.

Very few areas allowed girls past puberty to attend school; some prevented girls from gaining an education where the Taliban held influence over the curriculum and prioritized religious education at the expense of other subjects.

An estimated 3.7 million children are out of school in Afghanistan- 60% of them are girls. After the fall of Kabul and the reemergence of the Taliban and their dark ideology.

FILE PHOTO: Afghan women’s rights defenders and civil activists protest to call on the Taliban to preserve their achievements and education in front of the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, September 3, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Today millions of Afghan girls are deprived of their fundamental rights. Women and girls were banned from schools and universities under Taliban rule between 1996 and 2001, and they are again forbidden from going to school in 2021.

According to the Taliban, “the education system is not Islamic enough, and schools should be segregated by gender, and Taliban will introduce a new dress code.”- Taliban has said.

Taliban have promised the people of Afghanistan; they will not prevent women from being educated or having jobs. But since the fall of Kabul, women cannot go out of their houses, and they are imprisoned in the four walls of their homes.

Taliban’s actions and words are not the same. For more than a month, Afghan girls have been banned from their fundamental right to “education,” and the world is not doing anything about this. Afghan women are paying the price of their fake promises, and they are being tortured mentally and physically.

Afghan women have been fighting for their rights in the last four decades, and they are fighters. They didn’t give up in the previous 40 years, and they will not give up today as well. We are not asking the world to give us western liberties. We are asking for solidarity in this fight against darkness.

 

Writer:A Civil Society Activist from Afghanistan.