'Soul-crushing': Anand Mahindra says Taliban prevents women from university education

• On Twitter, Anand Mahindra wrote that his main way of giving back to the society has been to support women's education

As Taliban rulers in Afghanistan ban female students from attending universities, Indian industrialist Anand Mahindra has called the news 'soul-crushing'.

Taking to Twitter, the Mahindra Group chairman wrote that his main way of giving back to the society is by supporting women's education.

Describing the Taliban's ban on women's higher education as 'self-crushing', the M&M president said it was a slow and brutal murder of the mind.

"All my life, my main way of giving back to society has been through supporting women's education. So, for me, this news is soul-crushing. The killing of people through war and violence is immediately bloody and shocking." But it is also murder – the slow and brutal murder of the mind," wrote Anand Mahindra.

All my life, my main way of giving back to the society has been to support women's education. So, to me, this news is soul crushing. The killing of people through war and violence is immediately bloody and shocking. But this is also murder - the slow and brutal murder of the mind.

— Anand Mahindra (@anandmahindra) December 22, 2022

Female university students in Afghanistan were turned back from campuses this week after the Taliban-run administration said women would be suspended from tertiary education.

Despite initially promising a more liberal regime that respected the rights of women and minorities, the Taliban have widely implemented their strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.

He has banned girls from middle school and high school, banned women from most employment, and ordered them to wear head-to-toe clothing in public.

Since returning to power in Afghanistan 16 months ago, the Taliban have gradually returned to their hardline stance against women's education and freedom.

They argue that their rules are in line with their interpretation of Islam, although Afghanistan is the only Muslim country that prevents girls from being educated.

Last month, the Taliban banned women from entering parks, fairs, gyms and public baths.

Radical Islamists beat female demonstrators who chanted "bread, work and freedom" and fired shots into the air to break up a demonstration outside the Ministry of Education in Kabul on August 13.

The move is sure to damage the Taliban's efforts to gain international recognition for its government and draw aid from potential donors at a time when Afghanistan is gripped by a worsening humanitarian crisis. The international community has urged Taliban leaders to reopen schools and give women their right to public space.

Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan, all Muslim countries, have expressed their dismay at the university ban and urged the authorities to withdraw or reconsider their decision.'Soul-crushing': Anand Mahindra says Taliban prevents women from university education



• On Twitter, Anand Mahindra wrote that his main way of giving back to the society has been to support women's education

As Taliban rulers in Afghanistan ban female students from attending universities, Indian industrialist Anand Mahindra has called the news 'soul-crushing'.

Taking to Twitter, the Mahindra Group chairman wrote that his main way of giving back to the society is by supporting women's education.

Describing the Taliban's ban on women's higher education as 'self-crushing', the M&M president said it was a slow and brutal murder of the mind.

"All my life, my main way of giving back to society has been through supporting women's education. So, for me, this news is soul-crushing. The killing of people through war and violence is immediately bloody and shocking." But it is also murder – the slow and brutal murder of the mind," wrote Anand Mahindra.

All my life, my main way of giving back to the society has been to support women's education. So, to me, this news is soul crushing. The killing of people through war and violence is immediately bloody and shocking. But this is also murder - the slow and brutal murder of the mind.

— Anand Mahindra (@anandmahindra) December 22, 2022

Female university students in Afghanistan were turned back from campuses this week after the Taliban-run administration said women would be suspended from tertiary education.

Despite initially promising a more liberal regime that respected the rights of women and minorities, the Taliban have widely implemented their strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.

He has banned girls from middle school and high school, banned women from most employment, and ordered them to wear head-to-toe clothing in public.

Since returning to power in Afghanistan 16 months ago, the Taliban have gradually returned to their hardline stance against women's education and freedom.

They argue that their rules are in line with their interpretation of Islam, although Afghanistan is the only Muslim country that prevents girls from being educated.

Last month, the Taliban banned women from entering parks, fairs, gyms and public baths.

Radical Islamists beat female demonstrators who chanted "bread, work and freedom" and fired shots into the air to break up a demonstration outside the Ministry of Education in Kabul on August 13.

The move is sure to damage the Taliban's efforts to gain international recognition for its government and draw aid from potential donors at a time when Afghanistan is gripped by a worsening humanitarian crisis. The international community has urged Taliban leaders to reopen schools and give women their right to public space.

Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan, all Muslim countries, have expressed their dismay at the university ban and urged the authorities to withdraw or reconsider their decision.