ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai urged Muslim leaders on Sunday to refrain from granting legitimacy to the Taliban and to condemn their severe restrictions on women’s education.
“For the past three and a half years, the Taliban have stripped every Afghan girl of her right to education,” Malala said during the “Women’s Education in Muslim Societies: Challenges and Opportunities” conference in Islamabad. “They have used our religion as a tool to justify these actions. The Taliban have made their objective clear: they seek to erase women and girls from all aspects of public life and remove them from society entirely.”
The two-day conference, hosted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in collaboration with the Muslim World League, brought together over 150 delegations from 44 countries to address critical challenges in girls’ education across Muslim-majority nations.
Malala emphasized the urgency of addressing the Taliban’s actions, describing them as a fundamental violation of human rights. She urged global leaders to unite against the Taliban’s policies and take meaningful steps to support Afghan women and girls.
“The purpose of this conference will not be fulfilled if we fail to address the plight of Afghan girls and hold the Taliban accountable for their crimes against women and girls,” she said.
Malala also highlighted the broader global crisis in education, noting that 120 million girls are out of school worldwide, including 12.5 million in Pakistan. “Every girl deserves the right to complete 12 years of education,” she said.
The Secretary General of the Muslim World League presented Malala with an honorary shield, recognizing her tireless advocacy for girls’ education.
Prime Minister Sharif, who inaugurated the conference, stressed the need for a global coalition involving governments, Islamic organizations, and civil society to advance girls’ education. The summit concluded with a renewed commitment to addressing barriers to education and ensuring that girls in Muslim societies can access learning opportunities.
In her closing remarks, Malala reiterated her determination to fight for the rights of girls worldwide and her deep connection to her homeland. “I started my journey here, and my heart will always remain in Pakistan,” she said.
