Taliban Arrest Matiullah Wesa, Activist Who Fights for Education of Afghan Girls

"The Taliban also threatened our mother to hand over Matiullah's phone," the activist's brother said.

Mattiullah Wesa, co-founder and president of PenPath.

(Photo Courtesy: Mattiullah Wesa)

Matiullah Wesa, the founder of a project that campaigned for girls' education in Afghanistan, was detained by the Taliban authorities on Monday, 27 March, the UN Mission in Afghanistan tweeted.

"Around 5 pm, when Matiullah had finished praying at the mosque in Kabul, the Taliban arrested him. We have not heard from him since then. On 28 March morning, the Taliban came to our house and threatened our mother. They also detained two of my brothers – Samiullah and Wali Mohammed," Ataullah Wesa, the activist's brother, told The Quint.

"The Taliban tied the hands of the brothers and threatened our mother to hand over Matiullah's phone. His phone has now been confiscated," Ataullah added.

Who Is Matiullah Wesa?

Matiullah Wesa is the president and co-founder of PenPath, an organisation that promotes girls' education in Afghanistan.

"We are operating 39 underground schools, where more than 120 teachers teach more than 5,000 girls from grade 1 to grade 9," Matiullah had told The Quint in August 2022.

"There are also six online schools," he added, adding that his campaign included foreign teachers who teach various subjects via Zoom.

"We are counting hours, minutes, and seconds for the opening of girls schools. The damage that closure of schools causes is irreversible and undeniable," he tweeted just last week, as Afghanistan saw the beginning of a new academic year.

Why Is His Work Important?

In a few months after the takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban barred girls from attending secondary school.

In what was perceived as a replication of their oppressive regime between 1995 and 2001, the move made Afghanistan the only country in the world to ban the education of girls.

It is estimated to affect 1.1 million girls across the country, increase "the risk of exploitation and abuse, including child marriage," according to a United Nations report from June.

At present, women are also banned from universities in Afghanistan, after a Taliban diktat.