The following letter was published by Cambridge Time, on Dec 28th, 2022.
I am appalled by the claim of Taliban who dare to ban the education of women in the name of my faith.
As an Ahmadi Muslim, Muslims who believe in the Messiah, I am proud to be guided by Islamic principles, which emphasize the education of both men and women. There is a famous saying of Prophet Muhammad which states: “Seeking of knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim man and woman.”
As a practising Muslim, my wife and I both aim to continuously learn and educate ourselves on all aspects of life, in particular the fascinating world of science. As a father of three boys and a beautiful daughter, I aspire to inculcate the love of learning in all my children, especially my three-year-old daughter who one day will be the mother and educator of the future generation.
Perhaps the Taliban would be dumbfounded to learn that one of the oldest universities in the world, Al-Qarawiyyin in Morocco, was actually established by Fatima al-Fihri, a Muslim woman.
The decision of the Taliban reflects their utter disregard and ignorance of the Islamic faith. I pray that the brave Afghan women obtain their basic human rights to higher education.
Nomaan Mubashir
Cambridge
