Doha, 11 June 2023

By Ashraf Siddiqui

Suhail Shaheen, designated permanent representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations and head of the Taliban Political Office in Doha, has said that a committee on women’s education will soon submit its recommendations on resuming women’s education in the country.

Talking to Ashraf Siddiqui, Editor www.asiantelegraphqatar.com in an exclusive interview, Suhail Shaheen said that recommendations to meet the basic rights of education of women would be prepared by keeping in view the social and cultural norms of the country. Women’s education is important for the development and growth of any country. After taking over the government of Afghanistan, schools and colleges were functioning. However, some terrorist organisations including ISIS started their attacks on their plea that women’s education is spreading immorality. He expected that after the recommendations from the committee soon, women’s education will be resumed throughout the country.

He said the West has imposed sanctions on Afghanistan on biased and media-propagated human rights charges for depriving the women of education, without knowing the ground realities and norms of the society. Shaheen queried the human rights of women and people of Afghanistan thrown into starvation by imposing illegal economic sanctions, so much so that the reserves of the country are blocked and unable to use for the health, education, food security and development of Afghan people.

He said the recent UN meeting in Doha on Afghanistan was important to involve the Afghanistan delegation to learn about ground realities on hand and suggestions to solve these issues. “Afghanistan is a sovereign country, how recently held UN talks on issues of a sovereign country without its participation could be fruitful and be unproductive in future also, if not invited.

These are our issues, and some of them are sensitive also. Both the people of Afghanistan and the government want to solve these and are always ready to discuss and find solutions towards these issues,” he said. “How can implementation on any one-sided, biased and discriminatory imposed decision be possible? Such attitude will only result in further distancing and heading towards conflicts,” the Doha-based Afghan spokesperson added.

He said only a pragmatic approach could be successful. Shaheen said, “We tried same time to extend our point of view and criticism through media, through our meetings with some of the participating delegates, however, we all saw the UN conference without any outcome.”

He said it is wrongly propagated that Afghan women are deprived of education in rural areas without checking whether there are any school buildings and other infrastructure in rural areas, come forward to build schools and colleges. Shaheen urged the West to help in meeting the right to education for women.

He accused the West of pushing educated Afghans and professionals to leave the country and create a situation of instability in Afghanistan. “If teachers leave the country, how can schools be operated,” he asked. “Education for girls and boys are need of our people, it is the need of the country’s development and progress. There is a committee working to suggest how the basic need for education for women can be met within the cultural and social norms of Afghan society. Hopefully soon will be worked out,” he said.