We should 'praise' Taliban instead of 'beating it down with a stick', journalist tells LBC
21 December 2022, 21:26 | Updated: 21 December 2022, 21:44
There is shock among the Taliban about the ban on women going to university, Yvonne Ridley claims.
Journalist and author Yvonne Ridley believes there are things to "praise" the Taliban for, as she reports shock among the regime towards the new ban on women attending university.
On Tuesday the Taliban's higher education minister announced a ban on women attending university in Afghanistan.
Lewis Goodall was joined by Yvonne Ridley to discuss the topic. Yvonne was held captive by the Taliban for 10 days in 2001 and wrote the book 'In the Hands of the Taliban' detailing her experience.
"It's a bit hard to praise a regime that is making it hard for women and girls to get an education!" came Lewis Goodall's response to Yvonne Ridley.
The author and journalist had told him: "Instead of continually beating the regime with a stick, we should praise the regime for the good things they are doing."
READ MORE: Taliban announces ban on women attending universities in Afghanistan
At the start of their conversation, Yvonne said: "I was totally surprised and I think this announcement has caught a lot of people out - especially in their own ranks in Afghanistan.
"I have been in communication with several members of the Taliban asking what on earth is going on and I can tell you they share my utter frustration. Many of them are fathers with daughters who have ambitions of going to university," she claimed.
She went on to call the move "outrageous" and told him she was "hopeful it will be revoked".
Yvonne told Lewis she believed it was a ploy to "jolt the international community to give support to the regime", he swiftly told her it was "exactly the opposite direction to go about that".
The journalist said the future of the Taliban depends on how "we the international community react".
Going on to say: "Instead of continually beating the regime with a stick, we should try and praise them for the good things they are doing which is a zero tolerance for corruption."
Lewis said he felt it would be quite "hard" to do that due to their treatment of women.
"I feel as though the women and the girls are being used as a human shield - to bring the international community to the table."
Lewis Goodall: "Presumably, it is going to have the opposite effect."
"Talking is the best way forward, we have got to learn to get to know their culture and their ways and try and find out what has prompted this very unIslamic decision," Yvonne declared.
Watch the full interview on Global Player.
READ MORE: Taliban orders all Afghan women to wear head-to-toe burkas in public
