Taliban is Anti-Women and Anti-Islam: Here is the Proof

A thread…

The Taliban claims they will guarantee women’s rights “under the limits of Islam.” As a Muslim woman, I don’t believe a word they say. But let me tell you about the guarantees Islam makes for women, and you’ll see why I don’t believe the Taliban.

Let’s start with the most basic of rights—rights over my own body. The Qur’an 4:20 declares, “Inherit not women against their will.” In this simple declaration Islam mandates that women cannot ever be coerced into doing anything they don’t want to do. I matter. My will matters, and is final. 

Next, I want to talk about property & economic rights. The Qu’ran guarantees women’s property rights. The Taliban instead strips property ownership from women. The Afghan women have been kept unaware of their land rights and far from owning property. Islam mandates that women receive inheritance, that they can wholly own their own property, and that they must be provided for financially. 

Moreover, Khadija, the first wife of the Prophet, was a wealthy CEO and business owner. Islam mandates that everything a woman earns, is her own, and everything her husband earns, belongs equally to her. Islam affords women complete financial independence (something the west still hasn’t stipulated as law for women).

Let’s talk about education rights. 1400 years ago Prophet Muhammad (sa) declared, “Education is incumbent upon every Muslim male and every Muslim female.” Education isn’t only my right, it’s my obligation. Ayesha, wife of the Prophet, was a brilliant scholar and jurist. She taught Muslim men & its because of her we have so much Islamic scholarship.

Moreover, how many of you know that Fatimah al-Fihri, an African Muslim woman queen, established the world’s oldest and longest running university? Centuries before Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge, Fatimah established Al-Quariune University in Morocco. The Taliban meanwhile tried to kill young Malala for her ‘crime’ of education.

Let's talk about marital rights. Islam mandates that a woman cannot be married off with out her will. Taliban on the other hand are finding unmarried  girls and women between the age of 12 & 45 and turning them into brides of those people whom they dont even know or making them sex slaves. Islam came to condemn this barbarity, not endorse it.

Islam was the first religion to mandate that a woman cannot be married without her consent, and that she can unilaterally divorce for any reason whatsoever. (Btw such rights weren’t afforded to women in the west until the last century). Prophet Muhammad categorically condemned domestic violence in all its forms.

The Qur’an rejects the idea that woman was created from the rib of Adam. Instead, it declares that man and woman were equal parts created from the same soul. The dying words of Prophet Muhammad were “Women are your committed partners, so treat them well.” Partners. Not slaves. Not servants. PARTNERS. Equals.

How about the rights of mothers. Prophet Muhammad (sa) said that heaven can be found under the feet of mothers. He didn't let a companion join in a battle because his mother was old and needed her son to be at home. Taliban on the other hand have never regarded mothers rights. 

Taliban fighters were sent to the uncalled for wars without the consent of  their mothers. They put young mothers in trials of not having food for their babies, so much so that they were forced to beg on the streets. 

Which reminds me of Prophet Muhammad’s (sa) rules of war, in which he forbade killing women, children, or any non-combatant, for any reason whatsoever. These are rules once again that the Taliban completely ignores out of their barbarity and cowardice.

The Taliban claims they will support women's rights, but haven’t even allowed women to be part of any decision making process. Their own actions demonstrate their hypocrisy. This truly is a nightmare for all Afghan women. The many women in government, teachers, and scientists, deserve better.

As you can see, the Taliban has never fulfilled even a single one of these Islamic obligations for women. Frankly no nation on Earth (Muslim or Non-Muslim) has. This is the standard of equity, equality, and justice that Islam mandates for women. You want me to believe the Taliban? Forget it. We must protect Afghan refugees and ensure they can come here safely.

I launched my Equal Entrance blog to ensure I’m playing my part in elevating voices and spaces for women. Especially now, I need everyone to listen to the women most impacted by these atrocities. And if you’re an Afghan woman reading this, I would be privileged to have you write for us to share your story. DMs open. God bless you.