Wednesday, September 07, 2011

So why do the Taliban blow-up schools?

The news item of the bombing of schools always amazes me. Here is the latest matter-of-fact news item from yesterday:

LANDI KOTAL: Unidentified militants blew up a government school in Khyber tribal region’s Sapah area razing the building to the ground, police said on Wednesday.
Explosive devices were planted outside the school building that went off completely destroying it. No casualties were reported in the incident.
Soon after, law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.

Why schools? So far the Taliban have destroyed over 500 schools. They must be getting some particular satisfaction from this. I know schools are a sign of the presence of a government structure - but there must be other government symbols as well. Why schools? It is not just the girls schools either. If there are schools - well then they are asking to be blown up. May be this is one place that the Taliban feel no use of. I would like to know details of the debates that take place in choosing their targets. "Hey - there is this school where kids go during the day time. Yeah - lets blow it up". Seriously, who needs schools?

Also see:
More schools bombed in northern Pakistan 

3 comments:

ih said...

It is easier to control ignorant people. Also educated women oppose the Taliban.

Umair said...

They have been pretty clear about this in their own confused way.

"“We are Muslims. Had there not been an Islamic system of education and curriculum, then it would have been all right to import a system of education belonging to others. But fortunately, Islam provides its own system of education, politics, economics and justice…If Islam is a complete code of life, then what is the need to import education from the United Kingdom?” – Haji Muslim Khan (spokesman for Taliban in the Swat valley)"
More apologia at: http://arrahmah.com/read/2009/02/09/3322-destroying-schools-how-about-the-talibans-view-please.html

Salman Hameed said...

Umair,

Thanks for that and you are right about it. But then they are against a lot of things. So why pick on schools out of all the 'modern' they don't like?

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