Afghanistan’s education leader, Azizullah ‘Aziz’ Royesh has emerged the Global Muslim Teacher of the Year 2021, an award organised by Muslim News, Nigeria’s most authoritative Islamic news medium to celebrate Muslim achievers in different professions.
In a press statement released on Saturday, October 22 in Lagos, Southwest, Nigeria, the Publisher of the Newspaper, Alhaji Rasheed Abubakar described Royesh as an outstanding advocate for education, especially in Afghanistan where he founded Marefat High School in Kabul, that provides formal civic education to Afghan children.
Despite Taliban’s education ban for girls since 2021, Royesh opened the doors of his school for girls to learn until it became too risky to continue due to threats from the Taliban-led officials.
He said, “The school administrators have received constant threats and phone calls, so we have decided to stop formal education for girls, which would be regarded as a sign of disobeying the Taliban rule,”
Yet, Royesh isn’t backing out, as he and his team thought of another method of continuing their cluster education – classrooms formed by ability, not age, for girls, though in a more low-profile manner.
Royesh, a former fellow of National Endowment for Democracy, MED, has all his life been championing belief in educational exploration. He had committed himself to education as a young boy who fled to neighbouring Pakistan following invasion of the Soviet Union into his home country. He left for Pakistan alone when he was just 12 years old, struggling to fend for himself and at the same time striving to get educated through self education.
Though he doesn’t have a record of passing through a formal school, Royesh upon returning to Aghanistan at 16 set up a literacy centre to teach other people in his local community, including his siblings.
Royesh was among the Global Teacher Prize 2015 Finalists where he emerged one of the top 10 rated teachers in the world due to his unflinching commitment to education.
Royesh was selected as the Global Muslim Teacher of the Year 2021 by Muslim News Nigeria for his hugely impactful touch in education, especially in Afghanistan, despite the challenges and barriers.
With the efforts of advocates like Royesh, some Taliban top leaders have begun to call for schools to be reopened for girls. For instance, Taliban Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai in September 2022 spoke at a gathering in Kabul, calling for the reopening of schools for the girl-child.
We at Muslim News also voice our support for girl-child education. Education is a divine command with historical precedence from the Qur’an and Hadith. The Prophet (S.A.W) said seeking knowledge is mandatory on every Muslim male and female. That is why we align with Qatar’s government position on Taliban’s policy on the girl-child education which it described as “a step backward.”
If the Taliban truly want to run an Islamic government, the authorities should take a cue from Qatar’s policy which has made the country a fast emerging big economy.
The Taliban government should rather look into the curriculum of schools and see how to adopt an approach that will be best for the girl-child in accordance with the teaching of Islam instead of jeopardizing their education with outright ban.
Muslim News therefore uses this opportunity to commend Aziz Royesh, the Global Muslim Teacher of the Year 2021 for his efforts so far in allowing girls access to education in the face of difficulties. This is a just and clarion call on the Taliban government in Afghanistan to review its ban on girl-child education.
MN also recognises the efforts of Muslim teachers across the world who are giving their best in educating the world, especially the girl-child, irrespective of the challenges. These include Nesreen Qutainah of Dora Primary School for Girls, Hebron, Palestine; Soraya Motaharnia of 14th Khordad Foundation Elementary School, Iran; and Ali Alzahrani of Imam Tabari Elementary School, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. They were all nominated alongside Royesh for this category before his emergence as the MN Muslim Teacher of the Year 2021.
