The Real War Against Women: School Girls Poisoned in Afghanistan

You know, just when I’m ready to cut and run in Afghanistan, along comes a story that reminds me what the war over there is all about. Its about treating the women like humans. The basic compassion and human dignity that comes with an education is critical to getting that country out of its stone-age mentality. But the Taliban still hates women.

From the DailyMail here:

Extremists have been blamed for poisoning the drinking water at a high school in north Afghanistan – making more than 150 girls seriously ill. Students in the northern province of Kunduz suffered nausea and vomiting; and some were left in a critical condition.

Radicals who are fiercely opposed to female education may have carried out the attack. Some of girls were allowed home after hospital treatment, but many remain unwell.

‘We are 100 percent sure that the water they drunk in their classes was poisoned. This is either the work of those who are against girls’ education or some other irresponsible armed individuals,’ said Jan Mohammad Nabizada, a spokesman for education department in northern Takhar province. They said they knew the water had been poisoned because a larger tank used to fill the affected water jugs was not contaminated.

Since the overthrowing of the Taliban government in 2001, females have largely returned to schools especially in Kabul. The Taliban had enforced a six-year ban on education for women and girls between 1996 and 2001.

There are now thought to be around 2.7 million girls in school, compared to only a few thousand under Taliban rule.

Don’t forget that schoolgirls routinely have acid tossed on them for going to school too. Leaving the women to the evil Taliban would be unthinkable.