Purple Saturdays Movement: Talibani Schools Are More Dangerous Than the Closure of Girls' Schools

The movement issued a resolution today, Saturday (October 19), in response to a request from the Pashtun Jirga of Pakistan advocating for Afghan girls' access to education under Taliban rule.

The resolution stressed that while the closure of girls' schools above the sixth grade is a major disaster for Afghanistan’s future, reopening these schools under Taliban authority, with changes to the curriculum and uniforms, would be an "even greater catastrophe."

According to the movement, Taliban-run schools promote "extremist, terrorist, and monopolistic ideologies" instead of scientific and humanistic education. This poses irreparable harm to the social, cultural, and peaceful coexistence foundations of Afghan society, particularly affecting women.

The Purple Saturdays Movement warned that reopening girls' schools under Taliban control would raise a generation of girls and women who, instead of embracing diversity and promoting peace and coexistence, would spread "Taliban violence, fear, regression, and authoritarianism."

The movement strongly opposed the reduction of Afghan women's rights to merely the reopening of girls' schools in a "Taliban-style" education, which they see as a means to legitimize the Taliban regime and prolong its rule with the support of Pakistan and its citizens. They strongly condemned this action.

The movement also called on Pakistan’s political and civil leaders and institutions, especially the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), to respect international borders and focus on Pakistan's internal problems. They urged the Pakistani government to stop supporting the Taliban and "terrorist groups."

Additionally, the movement called on the international community and global organizations to cease their support for the Taliban and hold the group’s leaders accountable in court for crimes against humanity, gender apartheid, war crimes, and widespread human rights violations.

Expressing deep concern over the continuation of the Taliban's "self-declared, mono-ethnic, and gender-exclusive government," the Purple Saturdays Movement warned that this government is increasingly turning the country into a breeding ground for "extremism and regression," pushing Afghanistan’s future, particularly for women, into darkness.

The movement stressed that medieval and tribal mechanisms cannot adequately address Afghanistan’s current situation in the 21st century and the modern era.