Taliban arrests professor who supported females education

• Prof. Ismail Mashal oversaw a private university in Kabul.
• On Thursday, Prof. Ismail Mashal was detained while he distributed free books.
• Men must stand up for Afghan women, said professor.

A university professor in Afghanistan who has been a vocal opponent of the Taliban‘s prohibition on women’s and girls’ education was detained in Kabul.

On Thursday, Prof. Ismail Mashal was detained while he distributed free books.

He gained notoriety by destroying his academic transcripts live on television in opposition to the Taliban’s prohibition on secondary and higher education for women and girls.

The Taliban have accused Prof. Mashal, 37, of engaging in “provocative conduct.”

Abdul Haq Hammad, a Taliban official from the Ministry of Information and Culture, claimed on Twitter that the man is suspected of attempting to undermine the Taliban regime by encouraging media to congregate on a major road and create “chaos.”

Although Abdul Haq Hammad claimed the professor was treated nicely while in detention, witnesses claimed that Taliban security personnel slapped, punched, and kicked the professor during the arrest.

Prof. Mashal, a former journalist, oversaw a private university in Kabul with 450 female students studying computer science, engineering, journalism, and economics—all subjects that the Taliban’s education minister claimed shouldn’t be taught to women because they are incompatible with Islam and Afghan culture.

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Prof. Mashal shut down his school entirely after the Taliban declared in December that female university students would not be permitted to return to class until further notice because “education is either available to all, or no one.”

He has vowed to speak out about the situation, even if it means losing his life, in a rebellious manner. He destroyed his own academic records live on television, and a video of the incident went viral.

He has received numerous threats ever since. In spite of this, he continues to distribute free books to anyone who dares to steal one from a cart and appears practically daily on local television.

“The only power I have is my pen, even if they kill me, even if they tear me to pieces, I won’t stay silent now,” Prof Mashal told the media last month.

He added that more males ought to speak out against the restrictions on women.

The father of two informed our correspondent during their encounter in Kabul that he did not fear arrest or death in his fight to see Afghan women and girls’ access to schools and universities.

He asserted that he was certain that the Taliban would attempt to silence him at some point, but he insisted that the cost was worthwhile.

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