The limitations of women under the Taliban regime have again come to the forefront as they have prevented several female Afghani students from travelling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for education, according to the chairman of a group that offered them scholarships, as per PTI reports.
On Wednesday, August 23, the Chairman of the Al Habtoor group, Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, expressed his disappointment on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), as he said that the women to whom he had provided educational scholarships were unable to reach Dubai Airport.
The chairman said that he had provided an opportunity for the women to study in collaboration with the University of Dubai, and had secured them university admissions, accommodations, transportation, health insurance, and an array of comprehensive services that were aimed at ensuring that the women complete their education with utmost safety and remain comfortable but he adds that "his aspirations were crushed", after the women were not allowed to leave the country.
Ahmad Al Habtoor adds, "This stands as a profound tragedy, a blow against the principles of humanity, education, equality, and justice."
Expressing his discontentment, he further says that although the Taliban had promised a more moderate rule than during their previous period in power in the 1990s, but instead, they have imposed harsh measures since seizing Afghanistan in August 2021 as US and NATO forces were pulling out after two decades of war with the country.
Some of the extreme measures that were taken included barring women from most areas of public life and work and no media freedoms. They have also banned girls from going to school beyond Class VI and prohibited Afghan women from working at local and non-governmental organisations.
The ban was also extended to employees of the United Nations in April. The measures have created a worldwide uproar that has isolated the country with its stringent tyrannical laws.
The Taliban spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.
Al Habtoor requested all the parties involved to assist the Afghan students amidst the crisis.
