Taliban arrest prominent Afghan activist Matiullah Wesa for promoting girls’ education

The arrest of Matiullah Wesa

The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan has led to a repressive clampdown on women’s rights, particularly their right to an education. Recently, the Taliban arrested a prominent advocate for girls’ and women’s education, Matiullah Wesa. Wesa is the founder of the non-governmental organization, Pen Path, which promotes education in rural areas.

Calls for clarification on Wesa’s whereabouts

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) called for the Taliban to clarify Wesa’s whereabouts and the reasons for his arrest. Wesa’s Twitter account is full of posts advocating for schools to reopen for girls and women. His younger brothers were also arrested during a Taliban security raid on their home.

Criticism from activists and lawmakers

The Taliban’s ban on female education may amount to gender persecution, a crime against humanity. Many activists have criticized the Taliban’s actions, including former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai and Nobel Peace Prizewinning Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai. The UN has also called for Wesa’s release and for him to have access to legal representation.

Crackdown on dissenting voices

Wesa’s arrest is seen as part of a broader crackdown on civil society activists and protesters who have spoken out against the closure of high schools and universities for girls and women in the country. At least three women protesters were arrested after demanding the reopening of high schools for girls, and activists have reported being beaten and tortured in custody.

Pen Path’s advocacy work

Matiullah Wesa founded Pen Path along with his brothers with a mission to promote education access across Afghanistan. They have been known to travel to remote areas to distribute books and advocate for education. However, the armed men who detained the Wesa brothers reportedly questioned them about their work with Pen Path and their interactions with foreign entities, as well as their use of the Afghan national flag instead of the Taliban’s white flag.

Taliban defends arrest

A Taliban spokesman defended Matiullah’s arrest, accusing him of organizing meetings and instigating the public against the Taliban system. The Taliban remain determined to ban all opposition to their ban on girls and women attending school or universities.

International pressure for release

Top diplomats and human rights groups, including a senior UN envoy and Amnesty International, have called for Wesa’s immediate release. The South Asia campaigner for Amnesty International praised his advocacy for girls’ education. However, with the Taliban in control of Afghanistan, it remains to be seen whether these calls will be heeded.

The struggle for education in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is the only country in the world that bars girls and young women from education solely because of their sex. The Taliban’s reclusive and ultra-conservative supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada is thought to have personally ordered this ban. There has been criticism of the ruling from within the group’s own ranks, with many senior Taliban educating their own daughters secretly, either in Afghanistan or abroad.

Advocacy work more important than ever

As Afghanistan moves forward under Taliban rule, human rights advocates are concerned about the status of women’s rights in particular. Activists like Matiullah Wesa have made it clear that there must be continued advocacy for girls’ and women’s education despite opposition. It remains to be seen how this will play out on the ground in Afghanistan, but one thing is clear: the fight for education access for all is more important than ever.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons