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Activist Sveto Muhammad Ishoq accused the hardline Islamist group of ignoring core messages of the religion. She urged more Afghan men to stand up to the draconian rules imposed by the Taliban leadership.
Activist Sveto Muhammad Ishoq said: “For example, if you look at education, Afghan women and girls are not allowed to go to secondary school.
“It is a complete contradiction. It has no basing in Islam. Even the first word in our religion is Ikar, which is ‘read’.
“It is compulsory for every Muslim man and every Muslim woman to seek knowledge.
“The fact they are not allowing women and girls to go to school and university to seek education and get knowledge, they are doing against what God says to us.
“All Afghans want their basic Afghan rights and their basic human rights.”
Miss Ishoq described how militant fighters targeted the American University of Afghanistan, killing 15 of her friends and classmates. Another 50 were injured, MPs heard.
She told MPs on the International Development Committee: “When I compare that, nothing compares to losing my country. It is so difficult, it is so challenging.
“We cannot expect Afghanistan to be like the UK overnight. It will take a lot of time and a lot of support.
“Resistance should have its own strategy. We shouldn’t become radical. If you look at other countries, it is not effective. We have to be very careful about our strategy.”
Last month, the country’s Islamist rulers banned all women from working for non-governmental organisations.
Since seizing back control of the country last year, the Taliban has steadily restricted women’s rights – despite promising its rule would be softer than the regime seen in the 1990s.
As well as the ban on female university students – now being enforced by armed guards – secondary schools for girls remain closed in most provinces.
Women have also been prevented from entering parks and gyms, among other public places.
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