Afghanistan: Defying Taliban, three girl students reach Dubai for studies

Kabul [Afghanistan], August 26 : Despite the repressive policies of the Taliban regime, three girl students from Afghanistan arrived in Dubai for studies, following the earlier delay in their plan, Tolo News reported.
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, founding chairman of Al Habtoor Group, said in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he met three Afghan female students who made it to Dubai safely this morning.
“They are among those who received the comprehensive scholarship that I provided them with in collaboration with the University of Dubai. I welcomed them in the safest country in the world, as I stated, I am entirely in charge of seeing to their comfort and safety, including taking care of their studies, housing, and other extensive services like transportation, and health insurance. We are hoping to see the rest of their classmates in Dubai very soon,” he said.
Notably, this comes days after the Taliban authorities stopped around 100 girl students, who had the opportunity to pursue higher education abroad, from travelling to Dubai at Kabul Airport, as per Tolo News.
Earlier on Wednesday, Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, said that he had planned to sponsor the female students to attend university and a plane he had paid for had been due to fly them to the UAE on Wednesday morning.
"Taliban government refused to allow the girls who were coming to study here – a hundred girls sponsored by me - they refused them to board the plane and already we have paid for the aircraft, we have organised everything for them here, accommodation, education, transportation security," he said in the video.
Meanwhile, the UN has called for girls' rights in Afghanistan to be “respected” in response to the ban on the travel of female Afghan students to Dubai who had been awarded scholarships to study in the United Arab Emirates, Tolo News reported.
The UN called on the Islamic Emirate “to uphold their obligation under international law” and allow girls access to education.
Florencia Soto Nino, the associate spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, in a press conference, said that they continue to advocate for the rights of women because Afghanistan cannot develop without their full participation.
“I think what we will continue to be doing is to call on the de facto authorities to uphold their obligations under international law. And we will continue to advocate for the rights of women because Afghanistan cannot develop without their full participation. And it's really heartbreaking that women who want to exercise these rights are being prevented from doing so,” Tolo News quoted Florencia as saying.
The Charge d Affaires of the Afghanistan Permanent Mission to the UN, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, also condemned this action of the current Afghan government.
“The people of Afghanistan truly appreciate your efforts, generosity and support to women’s and girls’ education. We all know this action of Taliban is un-Islamic, inhumane & deliberate to keep the people in darkness and ignorance,” Tolo News quoted Naseer Ahmad Faiq as saying.
The Amnesty International also urged the Taliban authorities to immediately reverse their decision and allow these female students to travel and study.
“Amnesty International condemns the Taliban’s latest action prohibiting female students from traveling to Dubai to start their university. This preposterous decision is a flagrant violation of the right to education and freedom of movement and demonstrates the continued gender persecution against women and girls in Afghanistan. The Taliban de-facto authorities must immediately reverse their decision and allow these female students to travel and study,” the organization stated.
Several women’s rights advocates have said that they consider the full presence of women in the country important and believe that by not respecting women's rights, Afghanistan will become more isolated, Tolo News reported.
"The Taliban will never be able to get the sanctions reversed or solve the problem of formal recognition if they are not prepared with national and international norms,” said Soraya Paikan, a women’s rights activist.
"The government should be understood, the current state of Afghanistan must also be understood, and what they say to us from the outside, they should have thought about this from the beginning," said political expert Moin Gol Samkanai.
Afghanistan's women have faced numerous challenges since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Girls and women in the war-torn country have no access to education, employment and public spaces.
It has imposed draconian restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly, and movement for women and girls.
Taliban leaders have also disregarded international calls for women and girls to be given access to education and employment. Apparently, they have also issued warnings to other nations not to meddle in Afghanistan's domestic affairs.
The Taliban have barred girls from attending secondary school, restricted women and girls' freedom of movement, excluded women from most areas of the workforce and banned women from using parks, gyms and public bath houses.