"Taliban Attacks Girls with Acid for 'Western' Education" - Blog 11, Caitlin Gault

This week, I read an article by Julia Lawrence in Education News entitled, “Taliban Attacks Girls with Acid for ‘Western’ Education”.  This article details the recent attacks of Taliban groups on women, whose leaders have “warned that the group will not stand for women getting a ‘Western education’, something that is forbidden by Islamic law as interpreted by the fundamentalist group” (Lawrence, 2012). These attacks are being used to invoke fear in girls and women, and prevent them from going to school and receiving an education. This article is an extension of a CNN article from last Saturday, which provides more detail about the attacks and the Taliban’s reasonings. One of the local leaders, Qari Muhavia, states that “If and when we find any girl from Parachinar going to university for an education we will target her (in) the same way, so that she might not be able to unveil her face before others” (Khan, 2012). These attacks are used to deter girls from participating in acts that could potentially bring dishonor to their family, including pursuing an education and participating in “illicit acts” (which are not defined in the article) with boys.

             

While it is hard to view this situation without being ethnocentric, I think that the tactics being used to punish the girls are extreme. If you must punish someone for receiving an education when it is forbidden, why not arrest them, or fine them, or do anything that is less harmful and scarring than acid throwing? One girl mentioned in the article was denied medical treatment by her parents and died shortly after from her injuries (Khan, 2012). That being said, I do not think that anyone should be kept from receiving an education if they would like one. I understand (at least a little) of the reasoning behind the Taliban discouraging an education for females, since they are a traditional extremist religious group, but in some cases, the girls’ parents are participating in throwing acid on them instead of protecting them. These girls are simply trying to better themselves, and it is becoming a dangerous dream.

Kahn, S. (2012, November 3). Pakistani Taliban target female students with acid attack - CNN.com. CNN. Retrieved November 9, 2012, from http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/03/world/asia/pakistan-acid-attack/index.html

Lawrence, J. (2012, November 6). Taliban Attacks Girls with Acid for 'Western' Education | Education News. Web's #1 Source for K12 and Higher Education News and Commentary - EducationNews.org. Retrieved November 9, 2012, from http://www.educationnews.org/international-uk/taliban-attacks-girls-with-acid-for-western-education/