Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister Urges Reopening of Schools for Afghan Girls

News Network
January 20, 2025

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Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the Taliban's acting deputy foreign minister, delivered a powerful plea to his senior leadership, urging them to reopen schools for Afghan girls. In a speech that resonated as one of the strongest criticisms of the Taliban’s policies on female education, Stanekzai emphasized the injustice and non-compliance with Islamic Sharia law that the current restrictions represent.

“We request the leaders of the Islamic Emirate to open the doors of education,” he declared, invoking the teachings of Islam. “In the time of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), the doors of knowledge were open to both men and women.” His words underscored the historical precedence and religious justification for granting education to all.

Stanekzai did not shy away from highlighting the gravity of the issue. “Today, out of a population of forty million, we are committing injustice against twenty million people,” he stated, pointing to the female population of Afghanistan who remain deprived of their fundamental right to education.

His remarks come as a rare public rebuke of the Taliban’s ongoing school closures for girls, a policy that has faced internal disagreements and widespread international criticism. Sources indicate that the decision was enforced by the Taliban’s supreme spiritual leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, despite opposition within the group.

The Taliban’s shifting stance on women’s education has drawn sharp condemnation globally. After initially promising to reopen high schools for girls in 2022, they reversed course, leaving the doors of secondary education and universities firmly closed to female students. The administration has claimed it is working on a plan for reopening these institutions but has yet to announce any concrete timeline.

Stanekzai’s speech adds to the chorus of criticism from Islamic scholars and the international community, who have called for the Taliban to honor women’s rights in accordance with Islamic principles. Western diplomats have made it clear that formal recognition of the Taliban government hinges on significant policy changes, particularly in the area of women’s education.

As of now, there has been no immediate response from a Taliban spokesman in Kandahar, where Haibatullah Akhundzada resides, regarding Stanekzai’s statements.
 

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News Network
February 5,2025

Belagavi: In a horrific act of rage, a man brutally stoned his wife to death at Upparatti village in Gokak taluk of Karnataka on Tuesday night. 

The accused, Balaji Kabali from Maharashtra, has been arrested, police said.

Kabali, along with his wife Meerabai (25) and family, worked as sugarcane harvesters. Following a heated altercation, he fatally attacked Meerabai before making video calls to relatives.

A heartbreaking scene unfolded as their two-year-old child was seen trying to wake up his mother, unaware of the tragedy.

Authorities have launched a detailed investigation into the incident.

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News Network
February 2,2025

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Opener Gongadi Trisha scored 44 as India defeated South Africa by nine wickets in the final match of the Women's U19 T20 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

Chasing only 83 runs, India did not face much difficulty as they lost just one wicket and went across the line in just 11.2 overs.

Earlier, contributions from the entire bowling unit helped India bundled out South Africa for 82 in 20 overs in the final of Women's U19 T20 World Cup on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur.

Asked to bowl first, India made immediate impact with back-to-back wickets. With this, India lifted their second consecutive U19 Women's World Cup title.

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Agencies
February 7,2025

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US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order slapping sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) for what he called baseless investigations targeting America and its close ally Israel over genocide in Gaza.

Trump's order said on Thursday the court in The Hague had "abused its power" by issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who held talks with the US president on Tuesday.

The order also said the tribunal had engaged in "illegitimate and baseless actions targeting the United States and Israel," referring to ICC’s probes into US war crimes in Afghanistan and Israel's onslaught on Gaza.

The order includes asset freezes and travel bans against ICC officials, employees, and their family members, along with anyone deemed to have helped the court's investigations.

Last November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former minister of military affairs, Yoav Gallant.

The warrants are for "crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024."

The court’s Pre-Trial Chamber I issued warrants of arrest for Netanyahu and Gallant "for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024, the day the Prosecution filed the applications for warrants of arrest”, it confirmed in a statement Thursday.

It was the first instance in the court's 22-year history it had issued arrest warrants for Western-allied senior officials.

In its statement, the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I, a panel of three judges, said it has rejected appeals by Israel challenging its jurisdiction.

Trump imposed financial sanctions and a visa ban during his first term on the ICC's then-prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, and other senior officials and staff in 2020.

Trump’s then-administration made the move after Bensouda launched an investigation into allegations of war crimes against US soldiers in Afghanistan.

President Joe Biden lifted the sanctions soon after taking office in 2021.

In January 2024, the international court of justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent genocide in Gaza. However, the regime has ignored the court's verdict.

Cuba has now officially declared its intention to join South Africa’s case against Israel at the ICJ.  Cuba is the 14th country to join the case.

 In December 2023, South Africa initiated legal proceedings against Israel, accusing it of breaching the Genocide Convention in its treatment of Palestinians in Gaza.

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