Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel laureate and a global advocate for girls’ education, delivered a powerful call to action at an international summit in Islamabad, urging Muslim leaders to confront the Taliban’s repressive policies against women and girls in Afghanistan. Addressing the conference organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Pakistan government, and the Muslim World League, Malala did not hold back in her criticism, declaring that “the Taliban do not see women as human beings.”

The summit brought together ministers, scholars, and activists from Muslim-majority countries, yet the absence of the Taliban—despite being invited—was a stark reminder of their unwillingness to engage in meaningful dialogue. Malala’s speech was not just an indictment of the Taliban’s policies but a rallying cry for the global Muslim community to stand against oppression and uphold the fundamental rights of women and girls.

For Malala, returning to Pakistan for this summit carried profound significance. At 15, she survived a near-fatal attack by the Pakistan Taliban for her advocacy for girls' education. She has since become a symbol of resilience and hope, visiting her home country only a handful of times since the 2012 attack. Standing before the audience in Islamabad, she expressed her joy at being back but lamented the worsening plight of Afghan women and girls.

Under the Taliban’s rule, Afghanistan has become the only country in the world where girls are completely banned from secondary and higher education. Over 1.5 million girls have been systematically deprived of their right to learn, with promises of reform repeatedly broken. The Taliban’s justification, rooted in their interpretation of Islamic values, has drawn widespread condemnation. “There is nothing Islamic about denying education to girls,” Malala asserted, dismantling their claims and highlighting the disconnect between their actions and the true teachings of Islam.