In Afghanistan, the Taliban is going to extremes to keep girls out of school. Spraying acid on the faces of girls walking to school and ordering that girls stay away from schools—or else—are horribly normal occurrences. The idea is this: keep 50% of the population uneducated and that many more people will have no choice but to follow you. Mahmood Qadari, the headmaster of a girls' school in Afghanistan that was attacked by the Taliban, says, "Education is the way to improve our society." Education is a powerful force. Unbiased education gives students a chance to form opinions, while at the same time they are taught to express feelings and opinions with clarity and poise. It is obvious why the Taliban are so against girls attending school. Individual minds are irritating and dangerous, who wants more of them to deal with?
Although neither boys nor girls spend as much time in school in Afghanistan as the equivalent age range here in the US, on average girls in Afghanistan go to school for just over a third as many years as the boys. Boys, on average, attend for only 11 years. The Taliban practice a fundamentalist version of Islam, and this is blamed for the suppression of women's rights—rights that are considered basic and inborn in the US. It is naturally easier for the Taliban to oppress women, because that is what society has been doing since gender divisions were first recognized. It's easy to say "we must follow the rules of our religion", but in no religion should it say that one group is inherently better than another, and especially not that this "inferior" group should be punished for pursuing something as natural as knowledge.
For another opinion on girls' education in Afghanistan, click here.
Although neither boys nor girls spend as much time in school in Afghanistan as the equivalent age range here in the US, on average girls in Afghanistan go to school for just over a third as many years as the boys. Boys, on average, attend for only 11 years. The Taliban practice a fundamentalist version of Islam, and this is blamed for the suppression of women's rights—rights that are considered basic and inborn in the US. It is naturally easier for the Taliban to oppress women, because that is what society has been doing since gender divisions were first recognized. It's easy to say "we must follow the rules of our religion", but in no religion should it say that one group is inherently better than another, and especially not that this "inferior" group should be punished for pursuing something as natural as knowledge.
For another opinion on girls' education in Afghanistan, click here.
I agree with this because education is really the key that will allow more people to fill jobs rather than be kept at home. It will really take a huge toll on both the economy and the society of Afghanistan if half of the nascent population is uneducated.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Megan and you that the lack of education in Pakistan will lead to long-term harmful effects on the nation of Pakistan. However, I have a more optomistic viewpoint that with the internet, and camera crews that travel to Pakistan, and other sources of media, this story will draw alot of attention to this story, and it will not pass unnoticed.
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ReplyDeleteI like the point you make about how the Taliban is using traditional gender divisions and their religion to justify what they are doing. I definitely agree with you that while people should be allowed to pursue their own beliefs, a religion that elevates one group above another is not just or fair. As long as gender stereotypes and divisions and corrupt forms of religion exist in our society, we will always have this problem of one group of people being thought of as less than or less capable than the other.
ReplyDeleteMainly, i really liked this op-ed because i could tell you looked up other information which really added to the story. Also, i liked how you included boys even tho the story was completely about girls. This enabled you to have a good comparison.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this was well researched and an accurate depiction of what the Taliban views on the education of girls. However, I would like to hear a little bit more about how you feel this connects to fascism and whether or not you think the Taliban is in fact a fascist organization. However, overall, I really agree with your ideas and I feel like you wrote this op-ed with a lot of passion about the education of girls
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your op-ed because it was unique and well written. You introduced different ideas then any of the other posts I have read, therefore making the point about gender roles more significant and memorable. Well done, this is my favorite so far.
ReplyDeleteYou op-ed seems like you really analyzed the actions of the Taliban and their motives; not just listing the facts. I agree with you about why they are out to get girls and restrict education. It makes sense that they take advantage of what society has depicted the role of women for many years. It also makes sense that if less people are educated, than they will just automatically believe and follow the Taliban.
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteYour Op-Ed is so interesting! I loved reading it. I think one reason it is so compelling is that you don't beat around the bush. You say what want right away. My only critique is that there is very little of your opinion. The majority of your piece is evidence and you rarely say what you believe. Op-Ed's are meant for your interpretation and if this revision is made your piece will go from good to great.
I enjoyed reading your op-ed. I like how you were able to incorporate both the gender role and the religious role that affects this issue of education. I also like how you went out of your way to research other information pertaining to the subject.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the whole op-ed. It had some interesting facts on the education situation in Afghanistan and expressed them very clearly. I especially liked the sentence where you argued that the Taliban do not want more people educated because individual thinking is dangerous, however I would like to hear more about your opinion on this. Good job.
ReplyDeleteYour op-ed was great. It was different than some of the ones I have read so far because it does more than just listing the facts about the Taliban, you analyzed them. In doing this you created a very convincing op-ed
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