Taliban detain Afghan teacher: An academic who expressed fury on live television about the Taliban’s prohibition on women attending universities was “pummelling and jailed,” according to his aide on Friday.
Ismail Mashal, a veteran journalism lecturer, made headlines in December when he tore his diplomas to pieces on television in opposition to the decree banning women from pursuing higher education.
Recently, domestic television broadcasts showed Mashal carrying books throughout Kabul and handing them out to onlookers.
Mashal’s assistant Farid Ahmad Fazli, referring to the Taliban government, told AFP that Mashal had been “mercilessly beaten and carried away in a very disrespectful manner by members of the Islamic Emirate.”
The detention was confirmed by a Taliban official.
According to a tweet from the director of the Ministry of Information and Culture, Abdul Haq Hammad, “Teacher Mashal had engaged in provocative measures against the system for some time.”
He was taken up by the security services for inquiry.
Mashal was detained on Thursday despite having “done no crime,” according to Fazli, despite having lectured for more than a decade at three colleges in Kabul.
He said, “He was giving free books to sisters (women) and males.” “We do not know where he is being detained, and he is still in detention.”
“Social Media Frenzy: Mashal Shreds Certifications to Speak Out for Women’s Rights in Afghanistan”
Social media users went crazy over the video of Mashal shredding his certifications on the exclusive channel TOLOnews.
“Mashal pledged to defend women’s rights in Afghanistan. He oversaw a co-educational institute.”
“As a man and a teacher, I was powerless to help them in any other way, and I felt that my credentials were now worthless. I tore them, he said at the time, according to AFP.
“I’m becoming louder. Along with my sisters, I’m standing. Even if it means losing my life, I will continue to protest.
Another brief walkout opposing the prohibition was organised by a small group of male students.
“The Taliban took back power in August 2021 and pledged to build a kinder rule. However, they have enforced harsh regulations on women, effectively excluding them from public life.”
The government ordered all humanitarian organizations to stop allowing its female staff to work in December. Since then, the health industry has been exempted, allowing women to resume their employment there.
However, “Many women have lost their jobs in government sectors. Secondary schools for girls have also been closed for over a year.”
Additionally, they are not allowed in public parks, gyms, or bathrooms.
