Key Takeaways:

• Malala Yousafzai urges Muslim leaders at a summit in Islamabad to reject the legitimacy of the Taliban's government.
• The Taliban has imposed severe restrictions on Afghan women’s access to education since regaining power.
• More than 150 international dignitaries gathered to advocate for girls' education in Muslim communities worldwide.
• The summit culminated in a declaration condemning extremist ideologies that impede girls' education.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai vehemently criticized the Taliban during a two-day summit on girls' education held in Islamabad, Pakistan, urging Muslim leaders not to “legitimize” the hardline government. Speaking on January 12, she labeled the Taliban as *“perpetrators of gender apartheid”*, highlighting their systematic assaults on women’s rights and calling for collective accountability among Islamic leaders for the ongoing repression faced by Afghan girls and women. She stated, *“For the past three-and-a-half years, the Taliban have ripped away the right to learn from every Afghan girl. They have weaponized our faith to justify it,”* echoing the sentiments shared by many attendees at the summit.

The conference attracted ministers and education advocates from nearly 50 Muslim-majority countries, as well as prominent representatives from international organizations such as UNESCO and UNICEF. Although the Taliban had received an invitation to attend, they did not participate, a noticeable absence from discussions about the dire status of girls' education in Afghanistan.

Yousafzai’s comments came as a rebuke to the Taliban's regime, described by the United Nations as enforcing a version of Islamic law that constitutes *“gender apartheid.”* She emphasized that the Taliban not only ban girls from schooling beyond the sixth grade but also significantly restrict women’s involvement in public life. Their ultimate aim, according to Yousafzai, is to erase women and girls from the public sphere entirely: *“Simply put, the Taliban do not see women as human beings. They cloak their crimes in cultural and religious justification.”*

Further calling for action, Yousafzai urged her fellow leaders to oppose these oppressive laws and emphasized the importance of Muslim leaders' voices in driving change. During her speech, she remarked, *“As Muslim leaders, now is the time to raise your voices, use your power. You can show true leadership. You can show true Islam.”* Furthermore, she underscored the necessity of educational opportunities, stating that *“Afghan women and girls must be free to shape their own future.”*

The conference concluded with the signing of a declaration condemning extremist ideologies that obstruct girls' education. The document denounced the misinterpretation of religious tenets to justify exclusions, insisting that *“anyone who rejects or opposes Islamic principles mandating equal education for men and women”* cannot be part of the *Ummah.* As the discussions concluded without mentioning Afghanistan specifically, the focus remained resolutely on advocating for girls' education globally. Yousafzai's father, Ziauddin, also stressed the need for serious actions from the Muslim world to support these women in their fight for rights.

For more information, you can read the full article on VOA News.