Organization of Islamic Cooperation calls for protecting girls’ education

The two-day summit organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) concluded in Islamabad on Friday. The participating leaders and intellectuals unanimously stressed the crucial importance of ensuring the education of girls in the Muslim world.

Mohammad Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Islamic World League, strongly condemned any restrictions on women’s education, calling it “unjust and contrary to the teachings of Islam”. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, for his part, described these restrictions as “the greatest challenge of our time”.

The situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have banned girls’ access to secondary schools and universities for more than three years, particularly marked the debates. Afghan women present launched a poignant appeal for the reopening of schools. Marzia, a resident of Kabul, testified to the psychological consequences of this deprivation of education.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has intervened to urge Islamic nations to strongly condemn the Taliban’s policies. The summit concluded with a call to action, emphasizing that women’s education is not only a moral imperative, but also a necessity for the future of Muslim societies.

Several concrete initiatives were adopted during the conference, including the creation of a special fund to support the education of girls in disadvantaged areas and the establishment of a network of educational establishments dedicated to the training of young women. Participants also committed to strengthening cooperation among member countries to share good practices and educational resources. The Taliban, although invited, did not participate in the conference.