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NDTV
38 minutes ago
- General
- NDTV
Afghan Girls Turn To Madrassas Amid Education Ban By Taliban
Kabul: For six hours every day after school, Nahideh works in a cemetery, collecting water from a nearby shrine to sell to mourners visiting loved ones' graves. She dreams of becoming a doctor - but knows it is a futile dream. When the next school year starts, she will be enrolling in a madrassa, a religious school, to learn about the Quran and Islam - and little else. "I prefer to go to school, but I can't, so I will go to a madrassa," she said, dark brown eyes peering out from beneath her tightly wrapped black headscarf. "If I could go to school then I could learn and become a doctor. But I can't." At the age of 13, Nahideh is in the last grade of primary school, the limit of education allowed for girls in Afghanistan. The country's Taliban government banned girls from secondary school and university three years ago - the only country in the world to do so. The ban is part of myriad restrictions on women and girls, dictating everything from what they can wear to where they can go and who they can go with. With no option for higher education, many girls and women are turning to madrassas instead. "Since the schools are closed to girls, they see this as an opportunity," said Zahid-ur-Rehman Sahibi, director of the Tasnim Nasrat Islamic Sciences Educational Center in Kabul. "So, they come here to stay engaged in learning and studying religious sciences." The center's roughly 400 students range in ages from about 3 to 60, and 90% are female. They study the Quran, Islamic jurisprudence, the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, and Arabic, the language of the Quran. Most Afghans, Sahibi noted, are religious. "Even before the schools were closed, many used to attend madrassas," he said. "But after the closure of schools, the interest has increased significantly, because the doors of the madrassas remain open to them." No recent official figures are available on the number of girls enrolled in madrassas, but officials say the popularity of religious schools overall has been growing. Last September, Deputy Minister of Education Karamatullah Akhundzada said at least 1 million students had enrolled in madrassas over the past year alone, bringing the total to over 3 million. Sheltered from the heat of an early summer's day in a basement room at the Tasnim Nasrat center, Sahibi's students knelt at small plastic tables on the carpeted floor, their pencils tracing lines of Arabic script in their Qurans. All 10 young women wore black niqabs, the all-encompassing garment that includes a veil, leaving only the eyes visible. "It is very good for girls and women to study at a madrassa, because ... the Quran is the word of Allah, and we are Muslims," said 25-year-old Faiza, who had enrolled at the center five months earlier. "Therefore, it is our duty to know what is in the book that Allah has revealed to us, to understand its interpretation and translation." Given a choice, she would have studied medicine. While she knows that is now impossible, she still harbors hope that if she shows she is a pious student dedicated to her religion, she will be eventually allowed to. The medical profession is one of the very few still open to women in Afghanistan. "When my family sees that I am learning Quranic sciences and that I am practicing all the teachings of the Quran in my life, and they are assured of this, they will definitely allow me to continue my studies," she said. Her teacher said he'd prefer if women were not strictly limited to religious studies. "In my opinion, it is very important for a sister or a woman to learn both religious sciences and other subjects, because modern knowledge is also an important part of society," Sahibi said. "Islam also recommends that modern sciences should be learned because they are necessary, and religious sciences are important alongside them. Both should be learned simultaneously." The female secondary and higher education ban has been controversial in Afghanistan, even within the ranks of the Taliban itself. In a rare sign of open dissent, Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Abbas Stanikzai said in a public speech in January that there was no justification for denying education to girls and women. His remarks were reportedly not well tolerated by the Taliban leadership; Stanikzai is now officially on leave and is believed to have left the country. But they were a clear indication that many in Afghanistan recognize the long-term impact of denying education to girls. "If this ban persists until 2030, over four million girls will have been deprived of their right to education beyond primary school," UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement at the start of Afghanistan's new school year in March. "The consequences for these girls - and for Afghanistan - are catastrophic. The ban negatively impacts the health system, the economy, and the future of the nation." For some in this deeply conservative society, the teachings of Islam are hard to overstate. "Learning the Holy Quran is the foundation of all other sciences, whether it's medicine, engineering, or other fields of knowledge," said Mullah Mohammed Jan Mukhtar, 35, who runs a boys' madrassa north of Kabul. "If someone first learns the Quran, they will then be able to learn these other sciences much better." His madrassa first opened five years ago with 35 students. Now it has 160 boys aged 5-21, half of whom are boarders. Beyond religious studies, it offers a limited number of other classes such as English and math. There is also an affiliated girls' madrassa, which currently has 90 students, he said. "In my opinion, there should be more madrassas for women," said Mukhtar, who has been a mullah for 14 years. He stressed the importance of religious education for women. "When they are aware of religious verdicts, they better understand the rights of their husbands, in-laws and other family members."
India.com
2 hours ago
- Politics
- India.com
SHOCKING! Israel makes Quran and Arabic mandatory for IDF soldiers due to...
(File) In a strategic move, Israel has made it mandatory for all soldiers and officers of the intelligence arm of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to learn and study Islam, the Quran, and the Arabic language to bolster future intelligence efforts and prevent failures. According to a report by the Jerusalem Post, the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate, called AMAN in Hebrew, has introduced extensive reforms Arabic language and Islamic cultural studies programs following intelligence failures around October 7, 2023 incident. Why IDF is being told to learn Quran and Arabic? As per the report, all intelligence soldiers and officers of the IDF have been asked to learn the Arabic language, and to study Islam and the Quran to prevent intelligence failures such as the ones that resulted in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The initiative is among the several taken by AMAN chief Major General Shlomi Binder, and requires all intelligence personnel, including those engaged in non-combat roles, to undergo training in either Arabic or Islamic studies. How the new directive will be implemented? Quoting officials, the report said that under the new directive, all intelligence personnel are now expected gain proficiency in Arabic as part of their basic training, while the long-term goal is for future commanders to be fluent in Arabic and well versed in Islamic culture and the Quran, to boost their analytical abilities. AMAN plans to impart Islamic studies training to all its personnel, while at least half of them are expected to receive training in Arabic, by the end of 2026, it said, adding the training will also include special training in Houthi and Iraqi dialects. The intelligence directorate also plans to establish a new department dedicated to the education of Arabic and Islam, while IDF will also reopen TELEM, which previously promoted Arabic and Middle Eastern studies in Israeli middle and high schools, but was shut around six years ago due to budget constraints. Who will impart the training? According to the report, Israeli intelligence personnel face difficulty in understanding Houthi communications because some Houthis are addicted to Qat– a mildly narcotic plant chewed in Yemen and other parts of the Arab world which results in slurred speech. Notably, in June, Israel's bid to assassinate a Houthi military chief reportedly failed due to this reason. To counter the issue, AMAN will begin special courses focused on Houthi and Iraqi Arabic dialects to familiarize language analysts with region-specific nuances. Instructors have been recruited from the respective communities to provide authentic training. 'So far we have not been that good in the areas of culture, language and Islam. We need to improve these areas. We will not turn our intelligence officers and soldiers into Arab children raised in villages. But through language and cultural studies, we can create an understanding of deep observation in them,' the report quoted a senior official as saying.
CNN
7 hours ago
- Sport
- CNN
Why record-breaking athlete Abdelrahman Elaraby is about more than just swimming
EDITOR'S NOTE: Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters. In the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also can provide contact information for crisis centers around the world. For all Abdelrahman Elaraby's success as an athlete, swimming is a passion simultaneously pursued intensely and held at arm's length. 'You'll never find me talking about swimming outside the pool,' the 25-year-old Egyptian told CNN Sports. Few people even knew that he had broken the African record in the men's 50m butterfly in Monaco in May until the news was shared publicly. When one of his friends checked to make sure he was OK after not hearing from him for a few days, Elaraby simply responded, ''Yeah man, I just … became the fastest African in history so I feel great.' 'And he was like … 'How did you not tell anybody?'' Elaraby recalled. For him, focusing on life outside swimming is just as important as his goals in the sport. There is time for training in the pool and at the gym, 'and then outside that we can find some other stuff to do,' he added. 'I'm very family-oriented … I read, I journal, I could go crazy if I leave my house without journaling in the morning or praying or reading the Quran.' Still, even as the fifth fastest man in the world this year over his preferred distance – the 50m butterfly – Elaraby prefers not to think about swimming as a career, wary of the trap he fell into earlier in his life. It was Elaraby's mom who first introduced him to swimming as a child in Cairo, searching for any way to tire out her young, chatty, social son who had been diagnosed with ADHD. 'So many people told her: 'He's the slowest kid on the team. What are you doing?'' Elaraby said. But she stuck with it and her son improved, drawn to the sport by the friends he found there. In 2018, he became Egypt's national champion in the 50m fly and won bronze in the 50m freestyle at the Junior Olympic Games. Aged 18, he left Egypt on a scholarship for the University of Louisville (Kentucky), competing on the swim team. However, while at Louisville, in March 2022, he attempted to take his own life. He had lost his passion for swimming and that spiralled into feelings of worthlessness, he said in a 2023 video made by the University of Louisville for Mental Health Awareness Month. He overdosed on medication and was taken to hospital, where he fell into a coma. When Elaraby recovered, he was transferred to a 'mental health hospital,' but even then, his thoughts were on returning to competitive swimming, he said in the video. In the time since March 2022, Elaraby has spoken of 'reclaiming' his life, of finding purpose and fulfillment again. Part of that has involved getting closer to his Muslim faith, he said. Another part has been by reducing the time he spends on his phone, instead using it to try things like learning a musical instrument and 'reading more about topics in life,' like the philosophy of Stoicism. And another is by considering: 'Who do I allow in my life?' 'I'm the fastest person to block people now (on social media) … just being part of each other's life is a great honor,' he told CNN Sports. Although 2023 was tough and he considered quitting swimming, he threw himself into his training and won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title in the men's 50m freestyle. In 2023, he left Louisville and swam for the University of Notre Dame, but after graduating, he began working full-time at a non-profit that helps college athletes break into the world of work, giving himself something to focus on beside his training. 'I got so stuck on the idea that I need to win, not because I want to win, I need to win because, if I win, I'm going to make this amount of money; if I win, I'm going to get seen by this amount of investors or sponsors,' he said. 'And it took away from the beauty and the love I have for the sport.' Last year, he was 'ready to quit' after failing to qualify for the Egyptian Olympic team. He didn't have a coach. Notre Dame's swim team was suspended for a year due to 'possible misconduct' and gambling violations and Elaraby says he was not seen as a training priority; he had 'every reason' to stop. Only a passing comment made by an Egyptian entrepreneur while she was interviewing him persuaded Elaraby to continue swimming. 'You should go back to swimming, but not because you want to achieve things, it's because this is what you love,' he recalled her saying. So he returned to the pool and trained three or four times a week. But without any serious weight training, he went to the World Championships last year in Budapest, Hungary, knowing he was 'absolutely out of shape.' There he finished joint 34th in the 50m butterfly and realized that 'being here just for the fun of the sport is not what I wanted. It's not fulfilling.' Determined to become a world-class athlete again, Elaraby took it upon himself to buy books about coaching, learned how to coach himself and set up competitions at the end of every month to focus his training blocks. That approach has paid off, allowing him to break that African 50m fly record and resurrect his goal of qualifying for the Olympics. In a moment of serendipity, Elaraby's preferred 50m butterfly event, as well as the 50m breaststroke and backstroke, will be included at the 2028 Olympics for the first time in the Games' history. This news made Elaraby 'so excited,' he said, adding that he believes competing at the Olympics in his preferred event would give him respect that he's previously been denied. But, even with such lofty goals, Elaraby's life remains multifaceted, concentrated as much outside the pool as inside it. After his suicide attempt, he shared his story in the hope of encouraging others, particularly men, to seek help when they need it. Opening up publicly initially provoked two types of reactions, he said. '(Some) people were like, 'Why are you talking about it? This is a very private matter. You should keep it to yourself' … And then a lot of people were like 'We feel seen, thank you, you're so courageous,'' he said. Speaking so publicly about his mental health and advocating for others to take better care of theirs comes with a complex responsibility. As time went on, Elaraby became wary of people taking his message and using it 'to find an excuse not to do things.' 'I don't want to drown a whole generation while I'm trying to save some people,' he said. 'I don't want to create a world of mentally weak individuals – I'm just trying to allow people to see mental health the right way, just as physical health. I'm not asking people to curl up and cry. I'm just asking people to get help, just like (when) you break an arm.'
CNN
8 hours ago
- Sport
- CNN
Why record-breaking athlete Abdelrahman Elaraby is about more than just swimming
EDITOR'S NOTE: Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters. In the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also can provide contact information for crisis centers around the world. For all Abdelrahman Elaraby's success as an athlete, swimming is a passion simultaneously pursued intensely and held at arm's length. 'You'll never find me talking about swimming outside the pool,' the 25-year-old Egyptian told CNN Sports. Few people even knew that he had broken the African record in the men's 50m butterfly in Monaco in May until the news was shared publicly. When one of his friends checked to make sure he was OK after not hearing from him for a few days, Elaraby simply responded, ''Yeah man, I just … became the fastest African in history so I feel great.' 'And he was like … 'How did you not tell anybody?'' Elaraby recalled. For him, focusing on life outside swimming is just as important as his goals in the sport. There is time for training in the pool and at the gym, 'and then outside that we can find some other stuff to do,' he added. 'I'm very family-oriented … I read, I journal, I could go crazy if I leave my house without journaling in the morning or praying or reading the Quran.' Still, even as the fifth fastest man in the world this year over his preferred distance – the 50m butterfly – Elaraby prefers not to think about swimming as a career, wary of the trap he fell into earlier in his life. It was Elaraby's mom who first introduced him to swimming as a child in Cairo, searching for any way to tire out her young, chatty, social son who had been diagnosed with ADHD. 'So many people told her: 'He's the slowest kid on the team. What are you doing?'' Elaraby said. But she stuck with it and her son improved, drawn to the sport by the friends he found there. In 2018, he became Egypt's national champion in the 50m fly and won bronze in the 50m freestyle at the Junior Olympic Games. Aged 18, he left Egypt on a scholarship for the University of Louisville (Kentucky), competing on the swim team. However, while at Louisville, in March 2022, he attempted to take his own life. He had lost his passion for swimming and that spiralled into feelings of worthlessness, he said in a 2023 video made by the University of Louisville for Mental Health Awareness Month. He overdosed on medication and was taken to hospital, where he fell into a coma. When Elaraby recovered, he was transferred to a 'mental health hospital,' but even then, his thoughts were on returning to competitive swimming, he said in the video. In the time since March 2022, Elaraby has spoken of 'reclaiming' his life, of finding purpose and fulfillment again. Part of that has involved getting closer to his Muslim faith, he said. Another part has been by reducing the time he spends on his phone, instead using it to try things like learning a musical instrument and 'reading more about topics in life,' like the philosophy of Stoicism. And another is by considering: 'Who do I allow in my life?' 'I'm the fastest person to block people now (on social media) … just being part of each other's life is a great honor,' he told CNN Sports. Although 2023 was tough and he considered quitting swimming, he threw himself into his training and won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title in the men's 50m freestyle. In 2023, he left Louisville and swam for the University of Notre Dame, but after graduating, he began working full-time at a non-profit that helps college athletes break into the world of work, giving himself something to focus on beside his training. 'I got so stuck on the idea that I need to win, not because I want to win, I need to win because, if I win, I'm going to make this amount of money; if I win, I'm going to get seen by this amount of investors or sponsors,' he said. 'And it took away from the beauty and the love I have for the sport.' Last year, he was 'ready to quit' after failing to qualify for the Egyptian Olympic team. He didn't have a coach. Notre Dame's swim team was suspended for a year due to 'possible misconduct' and gambling violations and Elaraby says he was not seen as a training priority; he had 'every reason' to stop. Only a passing comment made by an Egyptian entrepreneur while she was interviewing him persuaded Elaraby to continue swimming. 'You should go back to swimming, but not because you want to achieve things, it's because this is what you love,' he recalled her saying. So he returned to the pool and trained three or four times a week. But without any serious weight training, he went to the World Championships last year in Budapest, Hungary, knowing he was 'absolutely out of shape.' There he finished joint 34th in the 50m butterfly and realized that 'being here just for the fun of the sport is not what I wanted. It's not fulfilling.' Determined to become a world-class athlete again, Elaraby took it upon himself to buy books about coaching, learned how to coach himself and set up competitions at the end of every month to focus his training blocks. That approach has paid off, allowing him to break that African 50m fly record and resurrect his goal of qualifying for the Olympics. In a moment of serendipity, Elaraby's preferred 50m butterfly event, as well as the 50m breaststroke and backstroke, will be included at the 2028 Olympics for the first time in the Games' history. This news made Elaraby 'so excited,' he said, adding that he believes competing at the Olympics in his preferred event would give him respect that he's previously been denied. But, even with such lofty goals, Elaraby's life remains multifaceted, concentrated as much outside the pool as inside it. After his suicide attempt, he shared his story in the hope of encouraging others, particularly men, to seek help when they need it. Opening up publicly initially provoked two types of reactions, he said. '(Some) people were like, 'Why are you talking about it? This is a very private matter. You should keep it to yourself' … And then a lot of people were like 'We feel seen, thank you, you're so courageous,'' he said. Speaking so publicly about his mental health and advocating for others to take better care of theirs comes with a complex responsibility. As time went on, Elaraby became wary of people taking his message and using it 'to find an excuse not to do things.' 'I don't want to drown a whole generation while I'm trying to save some people,' he said. 'I don't want to create a world of mentally weak individuals – I'm just trying to allow people to see mental health the right way, just as physical health. I'm not asking people to curl up and cry. I'm just asking people to get help, just like (when) you break an arm.'
Washington Post
8 hours ago
- General
- Washington Post
With no access to education beyond the 6th grade, girls in Afghanistan turn to religious schools
KABUL, Afghanistan — For six hours every day after school, Nahideh works in a cemetery, collecting water from a nearby shrine to sell to mourners visiting loved ones' graves. She dreams of becoming a doctor — but knows it is a futile dream. When the next school year starts, she will be enrolling in a madrassa, a religious school, to learn about the Quran and Islam — and little else.
