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Education Ministry bans school girls over 12 from singing in public
The Ministry of Education has banned all school girls over the age of 12 from singing or performing at public performances.
A letter from the Kabul Education Department states that male teachers and educators are also not allowed to teach school girls over the age of 12, and that if they fail to abide by this rule they could face legal action.
The ban would apply to all government and private schools, the letter stated.
The decision has sparked an outcry among social media users and other critics.
Women in particular have slammed the decision, saying that sensitive decisions especially relating to gender should not be taken by educational institutions.
But the Ministry of Education says the decision was made following an order from the National Assembly and at the suggestion of some families.
“According to the order of the Ministry of Education, all public and private schools should organize singing groups for female students so that their members are girls under 12 years old.
“The letter states that male educators cannot educate girls over the age of 12,” one official said.
Najiba Arian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, confirmed the ban.
Arian said the decision was made following complaints by families of the “heavy load of studies on the shoulders of the students in high school and middle school”.
Based on the decision, girls who are over the age of 12 are only allowed to sing the national anthem and other cultural songs at womens-only gatherings.
The principals of schools have also been warned that they will face legal action if they break these rules.
Critics have described the move as imposing limitations on the civil liberties of women and girls.
Eleven people have been killed in a shooting at a shrine in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province, local sources said on Friday.
The incident took place at 9 pm on Thursday at the shrine of Sayed Padsha Jan in Shahr-e-Kuhna of Nahrin district.
A local resident said the dead were residents of Nahrin district and wanted to spend the night at the shrine.
Asadullah Mustafa Hashemi, the provincial information and culture director, confirmed the incident but did not provide details on how it happened or the number of casualties.
Provincial police spokesman said they had not received any information about the incident yet.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Serdar Muhammetdurdiyev on Thursday met with Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan announced.
During the meeting, the sides discussed priority vectors of strategic interstate cooperation built on a long-term, mutually beneficial basis, as well as exchanged views on the implementation of previously reached agreements.
It was noted that personal contacts between the leaders of the two countries play a key role in intensifying the interstate dialogue, which give a strong impulse to further development and expansion of Turkmen-Chinese ties.
It was emphasized that Turkmenistan considers multilateral international platforms for maintaining stability in Afghanistan as an important factor in promoting sustainable improvement of socio-economic state of the neighboring country. The sides exchanged views on the preparations to the 5th meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan's Neighboring States to be held in Turkmenistan.
The interlocutors reaffirmed that Turkmenistan and China will continue to provide all-round support for the economic restoration of Afghanistan.
The U.S. House Of Representatives has passed a legislation on evacuation of Afghans who assisted Americans during the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
“The passage of the CARE Authorization Act of 2024 further underscores the commitment made by the U.S. government to safeguard those who served shoulder-to-shoulder with our personnel during the twenty-year mission in Afghanistan,” Congresswoman Dina Titus said in a statement.
“The State Department has made it clear: There is no deadline for the crucial job of protecting Afghan allies. By authorizing the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts at the State Department, we can more effectively relocate and resettle those who have qualified to immigrate to the U.S. as a result of their service to this country.”
In 2022 the State Department established a specialized office called the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to streamline and coordinate the ongoing relocation and resettlement process for eligible Afghans from Afghanistan and Pakistan to the United States.
The CARE Authorization Act of 2024 will formally authorize the CARE office at the State Department for three years and grant important authorities to advance its mission. These include an extension of authorities to enter into personal services contracts as well as measures to streamline the transfer of funds to and from other agencies involved in the Afghan relocation mission.
Eleven people shot dead at shrine in Baghlan
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