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- The conference’s aim is to stress Islam’s message that both men, women have right to education
- Over 150 dignitaries from 44 Muslim and other friendly states are taking part in the conference
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will open today, Saturday, a two-day summit on girls’ education in Muslim communities, with over 150 dignitaries from 44 Muslim and other friendly states taking part in the conference.
The global summit, hosted by the Pakistani education ministry, aims to address the challenges and opportunities in advancing girls’ education across Muslim communities worldwide, according to Pakistan’s foreign office.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will inaugurate the conference and deliver a keynote address at the opening session. He will reaffirm the nation’s commitment to promoting girls’ education and gender equality.
Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui this week said the primary aim of the conference is to stress the implementation of the Islamic message, which clearly states that both men and women have the right to education.
“By promoting girls’ education, we can build better homes, a better society and a stronger nation,” he said at a media briefing, adding that an “Islamabad Declaration” will be announced at the end of the summit that would outline decisive steps to transform girls’ education in Islamic countries.
Several dignitaries, including Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha and Egyptian Grand Mufti Dr. Nazir Mohamed Ayad, have arrived in Pakistan to attend the summit.
Pakistan has also extended an invitation to Afghanistan to join representatives from other Islamic countries and attend the conference in Islamabad.
“We have extended an invitation to Afghanistan to participate in this conference and hope that their delegation will attend as it is a very important neighboring country,” Siddiqui said.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, at least 1.4 million Afghan girls have been denied access to secondary education, according to a report by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) released in August last year.
Siddiqui said everyone respects tribal customs and cultures, but all such practices must align with Islamic values in Muslim countries, adding that nothing holds precedence over them.
“In Islam, there is no justification for restricting women’s education,” he added.