Members of the Taliban have shared an audio file of Sheikh Abdul Ali Deobandi on X, in which he declares that teaching women to read and write, even at home, is prohibited.
Ziaullah Hashmi, the spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education, reposted the file, calling it an “important fatwa”.
In the audio file, Sheikh Abdul Ali Deobandi cites narratives from the early days of Islam, asserting that women are not allowed to attend congregational prayers or learn to write.
This Taliban mufti criticises Islamic countries that grant women the right to education, stating that while these countries are called “Islamic,” they are not capable of implementing Sharia law in reality.
Abdul Ali Deobandi emphasises that women’s participation in congregational prayers and learning to write leads to “corruption”.
For over a thousand days, the Taliban have prevented the reopening of secondary and higher education schools for girls. Since December 20, 2022, the Taliban have also stopped women from continuing their university education.
In the audio, Abdul Ali Deobandi responds to a radio listener’s question about education for women from the perspective of “Islamic Sharia”. He states, “If women learn to write, they will write letters to others.” He adds, “Old and young women have been banned from education and attending congregational prayers because our times are times of temptation, and this leads to women’s corruption.”
Deobandi also warns about women using mobile phones, stating that women use them to “form relationships and turn to immorality and vices”.
