The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is set to hold a summit focused on women’s education in Islam. This summit will take place in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, within a week.
According to Pakistani media reports, the discussion will center on female education in the Muslim world. This comes as the issue of women’s education in Afghanistan has been a contentious topic over the past three years.
Pakistani media stated: “While the detailed agenda of the conference remains under wraps, sources revealed to The Express Tribune that one of its primary aims is to build pressure on Afghanistan’s interim Taliban government to reconsider its ban on girls’ education.”
Zahiruddin Zahir, a political analyst on the OIC and its activities, said: “The control of this organization lies in the hands of others. What have they done in the past three years? What have they accomplished in our relations with the world?”
According to the media reports, the participation of nearly 30 foreign ministers from OIC member states has been confirmed so far, but nothing has been said about the Islamic Emirate’s attendance at this summit. On the other hand, the Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on its participation or lack thereof.
Meanwhile, some political analysts consider the discussion on Afghan women’s education in this summit to be significant.
“The OIC meeting in Islamabad is good news for Afghanistan, as it is being held in a neighboring country. Secondly, it discusses girls’ education from the perspective of Islamic teachings to clarify whether there is any religious prohibition against girls’ education,” said Aziz Maarij, another political analyst.
The OIC summit on women’s education in Islam is scheduled to take place on January 11-12, in Islamabad. This comes as the Islamic Emirate has suspended women’s education in Afghanistan for over three years until further notice.
