13 November 2010

In Afghanistan, a 16-year-old girl dares to learn

An Afghan girl must be strong to reach for a book instead of a broom. She will suffer for wanting to learn.

Dare to walk to school here in the Taliban heartland and a girl must endure the cruel taunts of neighbours. Not wild-eyed terrorists, just ordinary folk who think a young lady's proper place is hidden in the home. They question her morals, call her venomous names, do all they can to make life difficult for the whole family.

When the Talibs punish aspiring females, the pain is much worse. Sometimes insurgents throw acid to burn schoolgirls' faces. They poison classes with noxious gas. Gunmen shoot students and their teachers in cold blood. [Toronto Star] Read more