Recently, some Taliban in Afghanistan poisoned fifty girls who were attending schools. Apparently the attackers used a high concentration of insecticide. Earlier in the year, several female students were disfigured by acid, thrown at them by Taliban attackers. The Taliban have burned down dozens of girls schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and intimidate teachers and students to stay away. Some teachers have been killed as well, for not taking this advice. One of the common beliefs among Islamic conservatives, especially the Taliban, is belief that education for women is forbidden. Currently, over 70 percent of Afghans are illiterate. But that varies greatly by gender. Some 44 percent of men are literate, but only about 14 percent of women. Many Afghan men want to keep it that way, and the Taliban have used that to cultivate support.
Yes, yes, I know that these scum pervert their religion. But it is hard not to notice that an awful lot of them pervert their religion, seemingly unconcerned that their beliefs don't mesh with "true" interpretations of their religion. Barely religious Christian Western experts on Islamic thought surely know more about true Islam than illiterate, mountain thugs, I suppose. It would help this interpretation if the most violent form of Islam wasn't extremely well funded by the Saudis. But that's irrelevant, right?
And the Taliban and their jihadi ilk seem rather militant about their poor interpretation of the religion in the name of all the rest. Fervor and guns (and box cutters, poison, or acid) are a deadly combination.
Please explain to the little girls that we have a year to show progress, according to some of our Congressional leaders, or it will be time to pull the plug on the whole thing--sanctuaries and little girls be damned.
