Matiullah Wesa, as the activist is called, founded a school project for girls in 2009. For example, he visited remote areas to encourage conservative communities to open schools for girls.
He also supplied textbooks and mobile libraries with his organization. According to Wesa, without women it is not possible to build an Afghanistan with a good economy, diplomacy and security.
Damage irreversible
“We are counting the hours, minutes and seconds until girls’ schools open,” he wrote just last week on Twitter. “The damage caused by school closures is undeniable and irreversible. We have met with the local population and will continue our protest if the schools remain closed.” It is estimated that the organization has set up forty schools in ten Afghan provinces.
The Taliban have banned most education for women and girls. Wesa said last year that he could carry out his project freely, but that seems to have come to an end now. According to his brother, he was thrown into a car after coming out of the mosque.
The UN mission in Afghanistan wants to make sure that Wesa gets the legal help he needs and that he can stay in touch with his family. The arrest has not yet been confirmed by the Taliban, the Reuters news agency reported.
