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Pakistani girls defy Taliban school bombings

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Pakistani girls defy Taliban school bombings

16 Nov 2011



* Girls return to school despite attack

* Education needed to boost weak economy

* Girl dreams of flying fighter jets




By Michael Georgy and Qasim Nauman

SWABI, Pakistan, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Seven-year-old Marwa cried and shook uncontrollably at the sight of the rubble and shattered glass remnants of her classroom. The Taliban had bombed yet another girls' school in Pakistan.

"I had to pick her up and hold her close to my chest. My worry is that we will spend our time helping the girls deal with fear instead of teaching them math and science," said head teacher Razia Begum.

"I hope the parents keep sending their children to school."

Pakistan's Taliban movement, which is close to al Qaeda, has bombed hundreds of schools since launching a campaign to topple the U.S.-backed government in 2007.

Like Taliban militants in neighbouring Afghanistan, the Pakistani Taliban want girls barred from education.

But the Taliban have failed to sell their violent philosophy to the vast majority of Pakistanis, and a campaign to terrify people into supporting militancy has had limited success, as the defiance at Government Girls Primary School No. 3 illustrates.

The students -- age 4 to 15 -- are undoubtedly scared, and disappointed about the damage to their school in the town of Swabi, 75 km (46 miles) northwest of the capital, Islamabad.


The bombs set off in the red and white brick school complex on Sunday were so powerful they stopped wall clocks at the time of impact -- nineteen minutes past midnight.

Instead of listening to lectures at their old wooden desks, the girls will be forced to sit on the grass in a courtyard until workers clean the rubble and shattered glass from classrooms pulverized by the bombs.

Still, they are determined to stay in school, hoping to become doctors or lawyers and leave sleepy Swabi for big Pakistani metropolises, or work abroad -- dreams that enrage Taliban zealots.

"We are braver than the Taliban," said Hasina Quraish, 10, who wants to be a college lecturer. "They are brutal people, not good Muslims."

In their ideal world, women are covered from head to toe, only learn how to cook and clean to take care of their husbands, and rarely venture outside the home.

Pakistani men would all grow beards, and the government would cut off all ties with the West and impose an austere system of Islamic law at home where those deemed immoral would be executed or whipped in public.


The campaign to bomb girls schools gathered pace several years ago in the former tourist destination of Swat Valley, about a three hour drive from Swabi.

The regional faction of the Taliban, led by Maulvi Fazlullah -- dubbed FM Mullah for his fiery radio broadcasts -- was fighting to impose its version of Islam.

It was able to do so after reaching a widely criticised peace deal with the government in 2009 which U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called an abdication to the Taliban.

An army offensive in Swat forced Fazlullah to rebase across the border in Afghanistan. Yet he and his fighters have regrouped, started launching cross-border attacks on Pakistani troops, and have vowed to rule Swat again.

Sympathisers with Fazlullah and other Taliban leaders, meanwhile, frequently attack girls schools.

"I WANT TO BE A FIGHTER PILOT"


That doesn't keep students like Sana Khan, 8, from walking several kilometres to School No. 3.

She is well aware of how ruthless the Taliban can be, often overhearing her parents speak of how the Taliban kidnap and behead people.

"I want to be a doctor and help people. I want to go outside and see the world," said Sana.


Pakistan needs as many qualified students to enter the work force as possible to help its struggling economy, which is heavily dependent on foreign aid.

"Women have to be educated because they have to be part of the economy too," said teacher Mohammad Arif. "Pakistan can't develop if its women do not learn."

But good learning is hard to come by in Pakistan, which spends less than two percent of its budget on education, while pouring huge sums into the military, which has ruled the South Asian country for more than half of its history.

Even hiring more guards for schools seems to be a challenge.

Israr Khan works a 24-hour shift at the school complex. His repeated calls to local authorities for reinforcements have been ignored.

"The Taliban are powerful and they will keep doing this unless the government does something about it," he said.

The Taliban campaign stretches far beyond the classroom.

Suicide bombings meant to destabilise the government disrupt the rhythm of life in big cities, as well as dusty places like Swabi, where vegetable sellers on donkey carts compete for road space with motorcycles, and women in veils bargain for better prices in the bazaar.

In the centre of town, posters of 25 policemen killed by Taliban bombs and shootouts remind residents of their vulnerability.

Yet, the importance of education seems to override fear.

"These people want to destroy society and the best way of doing that is by destroying education," said Nur Waheed, holding the hand of his four-year-old granddaughter outside a butcher's shop.

"She said 'I don't want to go to school because I heard a bomb exploded there'. But we will send her to school," he said.

Sara Ahmed, 9, doesn't need encouragement. The bubbly girl with a white scarf has high ambitions in Pakistan's conservative male-dominated society.

"I want to be a fighter pilot," she said with a wide smile.



FEATURE-Pakistani girls defy Taliban school bombings - AlertNet


Good to see the brave ones fighting it out inspite of odds against them.

Wishing them all the luck for their successes and dreams.
 
Huh.. it proves ppl are only interested in negative news.. once again...
 
Pakistani girls defy Taliban school bombings

salute to these girls. But the education and woman haters wont back off, they will keep on doing what they were doing.
 
Education for girls/women is not only a must for the individual (on an individual level), but also for Pakistan to progress.
 
salute to these girls. But the education and woman haters wont back off, they will keep on doing what they were doing.

They are the enemies of the society. So the society, and the people, will have to fight them off, and not stop till they are finished.

These girls are the biggest proof that Talibans are not representative of a civilized society.

Their AKs and rocket launchers are nothing compared to their most dagerous weapon - their ideology. And ideologies can only be defeated by defiance, such as those shown by these girls. If this defiance is taken as an inspiration by every participant of the society, the Talibans will border extinction in no time.
 
They are the enemies of the society. So the society, and the people, will have to fight them off, and not stop till they are finished.

These girls are the biggest proof that Talibans are not representative of a civilized society.

Their AKs and rocket launchers are nothing compared to their most dagerous weapon - their ideology. And ideologies can only be defeated by defiance, such as those shown by these girls. If this defiance is taken as an inspiration by every participant of the society, the Talibans will border extinction in no time.

They are on the wrong side of history, a temporary aberration. Their ideology is bankrupt.
 
salute to these girls. But the education and woman haters wont back off, they will keep on doing what they were doing.
Co Education is not allowed in Islam but education for women if compulsory and every Islamic Government should allow and encourage it

---------- Post added at 02:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:38 PM ----------

They are on the wrong side of history, a temporary aberration. Their ideology is bankrupt.
Sir they are just about to defeat a super power and you are saying they are on the wrong side of history :hitwall:
 
the dreams of these innocent children will become reality one day ..... they will become doctors , pilots and engineers and Pakistan will become more prosperous
 
Co Education is not allowed in Islam but education for women if compulsory and every Islamic Government should allow and encourage it

Tell me what is your position with regards to the Taliban's policy about girls' education? do you approve or reject it?
 
Tell me what is your position with regards to the Taliban's policy about girls' education? do you approve or reject it?

The Tabs are a reaction to modernity, and they are like all misogynists - terrified of women.
 
The Tabs are a reaction to modernity, and they are like all misogynists - terrified of women.

Once a Talib fighter told me that his boss Mullah Omar really gets shocked and strange things happen to him when he sees another woman. Well, obviousely my reaction was to node in agreement as i had no any other choice. His words only had one meaning, he wanted to emphasize on how the Taliban are seeing women something different to the other human beings(or in other word to men).
 
Sir they are just about to defeat a super power and you are saying they are on the wrong side of history :hitwall:

Zaravan, as a Muslim, are you not offended by the Taliban that it is using your respectable religion to get through with its dirty means?

I am an atheist, born a Hindu. But each time I see anyone using Hinduism to justify anything that is violent or criminal, it makes me very angry, even reactive some times. I wonder whether you feel same way about your religion.

Please stop glorifying the Taliban... they are not worthy enough.
 
Once a Talib fighter told me that his boss Mullah Omar really gets shocked and strange things happen to him when he sees another woman. Well, obviousely my reaction was to node in agreement as i had no any other choice. His words only had one meaning, he wanted to emphasize on how the Taliban are seeing women something different to the other human beings(or in other word to men).
Sir ALLAH help lions and this lion is about to defeat the Obama and his dogs and He is married to women not men so stop talking crap
 
Once a Talib fighter told me that his boss Mullah Omar really gets shocked and strange things happen to him when he sees another woman. Well, obviousely my reaction was to node in agreement as i had no any other choice. His words only had one meaning, he wanted to emphasize on how the Taliban are seeing women something different to the other human beings(or in other word to men).

When you talk to them about women, they get this very funny look in their eyes. Me I love women, imagine how dull and grey this world would be - if there were no women to light it up.
 

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