Taliban minister defends ban on women’s university studies

A classroom that previously was used for girls sits empty in Kabul, Afghanistan (Ebrahim Noroozi/AP)

The minister of higher education in the Taliban government on Thursday defended his decision to ban women from universities — a decree that had triggered a global backlash.

Discussing the matter for the first time in public, Nida Mohammad Nadim said the ban issued earlier this week was necessary to prevent the mixing of genders in universities and because he believes some subjects being taught violated the principles of Islam. He said the ban was in place until further notice.