(LOS ANGELES, CA – 12/21/2022) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today called a decision by Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government to ban women from higher education until further notice “offensive and self-destructive.”
SEE: Taliban suspend university education for women in Afghanistan
Since the expedited withdrawal of the U.S. from Afghanistan in 2021, CAIR-LA has been at the forefront of assisting Afghan arrivals as they fled their home country in search of safety. Its immigration team, which has expanded to include two case workers specifically tasked with helping the Afghan community, has assisted more than 300 Afghan arrivals through legal consultations, immigration applications, Know Your Rights presentations, and various legal clinics.
CAIR-LA’s Immigrants’ Rights Case Workers, Fahima Amini and Najia Munira Akhunzada, who are both also lecturers at Chapman University, assist the legal department with preparing Afghan immigration applications and provide critical translation services. Amini studied and practiced law in Afghanistan, spent several years working as a women’s rights advocate in the country, and pursued her Master of Laws (L.L.M.) at Chapman University. Akhunzada is the former deputy of Peace Consultative Loya Jirga in Afghanistan, former female political candidate for parliamentary elections, former United Nations employee, and a human rights activist.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Immigrants’ Rights Case Worker Fahima Amini said:
“More than 1,400 years ago, Islamic law protected women’s fundamental rights by guaranteeing women the right to an education, the right to own a business, the right of inheritance, the right to choose a spouse, the right to a prenuptial agreement, the right to initiate divorce, the right to receive child support, the right to petition and criticize a government, among many other things.
“The Taliban’s restriction on women seeking a university education is un-Islamic and inconsistent with Afghan culture. Afghan families like mine have supported their daughter’s pursuit of an education despite the longstanding threat of violence against schools. I remember several attacks on our dormitory to punish us for seeking higher education. Like many others, I was never discouraged by those attacks and studied law to fight for women’s rights. Had these restrictions been in place when I was a young girl, I would not have had the opportunity to become a lawyer in Afghanistan, and now work as a part of CAIR’s Immigrants’ Right Center to help other Afghan girls settle in the U.S. and pursue their academic dreams. These policies not only deprive women of their rights, but also undermine the development of the entire Afghan community in the country.”
In a statement, CAIR-LA Immigrants’ Rights Case Worker Najia Munira Akhunzada said:
“Since the arrival of the Taliban in August 2021, they have banned many girls from attending school after sixth grade, restricted women’s and girls’ right to work, and now even suspended women from higher education. Preventing women and girls from learning is a violation of their God-given rights as humans and Muslims.
“As Muslims, we all know that seeking knowledge is an obligation for every believer. The importance of education for both men and women has been emphasized since the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Growing up, many Muslim girls were inspired by the fact that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)’s wife successfully ran her own business and that a Muslim woman in Morocco founded the first university in the world.
“Women and girls in Afghanistan need access to education to help their country develop its full potential and keep up with other nations and international communities. We expect this offensive and self-destructive decision to have further negative impacts on increasing violence and force more Afghans to flee the country.”
CAIR-LA also reiterated its calls for Congress to support Afghan refugees by passing the Afghan Adjustment Act and for the Biden administration to release the full $7 billion in Afghan Central Bank funds back to the Afghan people, who are suffering from an ongoing economic and humanitarian crisis.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Deputy Executive Director Masih Fouladi said:
“As we continue to amplify the voices of Afghan women, leaders within Congress and the President’s administration must stop sending mixed signals to the Afghan people. Congress’ refusal to include the Afghan Adjustment Act within the Omnibus bill will deprive Afghan evacuees’ the peace and stability they were promised by the U.S. government. Similarly, the administration must stop its plans to deprive the Afghan people of over $3.5 billion of their funds, funds that are needed to meet the humanitarian needs of the very people who are suffering most in the aftermath of decades of invasions and wars. Our Congress and Presidential administration must move beyond condemning the actions of the Taliban by exemplifying humanity towards the Afghan people through their policies and actions. Only then will our new Afghan neighbors feel welcomed within the United States while their families abroad will have the international and humanitarian support needed to meet their most basic needs.”
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CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Digital Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or eelkadi@cair.com