Education is a pre-requisite to the awareness of individual rights leading to freedom of thought and action in healthy human societies.
Islamic teachings explicitly emphasise the acquisition of knowledge or education for both males and females connecting it with success in the hereafter.
Islamic world-view does not divide knowledge into religious and secular spheres, but develops the idea of wholistic knowledge, knowledge through religious sources, revelations and acquired through human efforts, thinking exploration or experimentation.
Education is a must to lead a successful life in this world by developing essential skills of communication, interaction, interpretation, critical thinking, earning a living and financial security.
Education is also important for both genders to be aware of one’s own rights and those of others around in family, in society, in a nation-state and globally.
The news coming from Afghanistan regarding the curtailment of the rights of women is highly concerning especially if the justification given by the Taliban regime is on the basis of some misinterpretation or disinterpretation of Islamic teachings or based on medieval cultural or tribal values.
Education for women in society must be given top priority and restrictions based on segregation, modest dress and cultural practices are not justified.
Women, just like men have their birthright to acquire knowledge, learn life skills in all areas of human endeavours, live with freedom and negotiate their rights with the opposite gender in marriage, family and society.
Education of women and development of modern skills in communication and everyday living including the option to work leads to prosperity in family, better care of children and utilisation of half of the resources of a society put to good use.
A Woman should have the choice to acquire education at the highest level, chose their profession and engage in the workforce as and when necessary balancing with the rearing of children, sharing the responsibility with their life partner.
Moreover education also prepares women to be aware of their rights in the family and in society free of oppression and exploitation by others hence avoiding domestic violence.
To live with dignity and freedom is again a basic human right equally important for both males and females. Dominance and exploitation of one gender over the other gender is absolutely unjustified.
Again news coming from Iran, the treatment of demonstrators especially women has been of great concern for the international community.
What started as an excessive use of force on the enforcement of modest dress code leading to the death of a woman snowballed into an anti-hijab frenzy ending into widespread anti-government movement.
Exploitation of the situation by foreign anti-Iran opposition groups and excessive force by Iranian law enforcement authorities combined to inflame the matter further out of control.
Although Iranian women have made great strides in post-revolution Iran, in education including higher education, employment in all sectors of human activity, their freedoms, safety and rights to expression and peaceful demonstration need to be safeguarded.
Education of girls and women would lead them to advocate for their rights leading to their freedom within family, in society, in state and globally away from their domestic or societal oppression and exploitation.
So disturbing to see what is happening in Afghanistan and Iran, with both countries ruled by regimes claiming legitimacy via Islam.
Disgraceful situation.
It is amazing how everyone accepts the “news” coming out of Islamic countries, but no one questions who is providing this so-called news, and what is the motivation behind circulating such stories.
Sad to note how we all fail to recognize and acknowledge the fact that all news is controlled and circulated by media that has only one agenda, to rubbish Islam and its teachings.