[IB Times] Some Taliban members secretly send their daughters to underground schools in Afghanistan or to foreign schools to continue their studies after the Taliban's supreme leader reinstated the group's signature policy prohibiting Afghan women and girls from attending high school, according to a new report.
Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada revived the ban from the '90s after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, more than two decades after their ouster by a United States-led military coalition. The controversial move makes it the only country that bars girls from getting a secondary education.
However, the Wall Street Journal reported that a number of families, including "a small minority of the Taliban," are sending their daughters and other female relatives to secret schools, often in houses, in Afghanistan or to countries such as Pakistan to study.
Some high-ranking Taliban officials have hinted at their opposition to the ban on girls' education in speeches, saying that they don't want to be harsh on Afghan people, despite the hardships faced by women amid their grip on power.
"If yesterday we were harsh against the enemy, today we are soft towards our people," Taliban's Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani said in a speech in February. "It is not our aim to be a dictator and rule the people in such a way that they suffer under us."
Taliban Defense Minister Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid, the son of the group's founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, appeared to echo Haqqani's sentiments in the same month.
"We should always listen to the legitimate demands of the people," Mujahid said.
Taliban Justice Minister Abdul Hakim Sharayi, a close ally of the group's supreme leader, confirmed that the government's cabinet of ministers did not agree with suspending girls' education. Sharayi said some Taliban officials preferred gradual changes to Afghanistan's education system.
However, Sharayi said that the ban was needed because of the U.S.' "ideological invasion," claiming that the Americans attempted to change their culture and "morally
destroy" their society.
Taliban ministers have traveled multiple times to Kandahar to privately urge their leader to reverse the policy banning girls from receiving secondary education, some officials and foreign ministers familiar with the matter told WSJ.
On the ground, many underground schools have been put up across the country to help Afghan girls continue their studies and evade being prosecuted by the Taliban, the outlet reported.
One such school is being hosted in a two-room house in Afghanistan's capital Kabul. One of the 40 girls getting secondary education there, 13-year-old Yalda, told WSJ in English that she attends the underground school because of her dream of becoming an engineer. However, Yalda expressed her sadness that she could not decide on her own future because of the ban.
In northern Afghanistan, residents there connived with local Taliban officials to keep girls' high schools open, according to the report.
A 25-year-old Afghan woman told the publication that the Taliban's intelligence service took no action when they visited one of her secret schools.
Meanwhile, Radio Begum, a Kabul-based radio station, has changed its programming to accommodate Afghan girls who want to learn by including six hours of school classes daily. The Afghan radio station also trained teachers to make their voices more compelling and brought a few girls into their studio to participate in the production and respond to the teachers.
Some Afghan teachers resorted to online teaching to accommodate girls who have internet access.
Homeira Qadiri, an Afghan teacher of an online class, said the students are being provided with PDF files of some popular books, including George Orwell's "1984" and Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale."
Despite this, Qadiri said educating students in physical schools remains the best approach.
Data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) revealed that 80% of school-aged Afghan girls and young women – 2.5 million people – remain out of school due to the Taliban's education policy.
In December, the Taliban expanded the ban to the college level, affecting 100,000 Afghan female students attending government and private higher education institutions.
#1
Bwhahahahahahahaa. In the end, these fanatics do understand that educated (i.e. literate in this context) women are important and confer a higher status to the families than an illiterate one.
Our 20 years there then just might not've been a total clusterduck after all
[KhaamaPress] The former acting finance minister, Mullah Hidayatullah Badri, has been appointed as the governor of the Afghanistan Central Bank, the spokesperson of the finance ministry said on Wednesday.
Finance Ministry front man Ahmad Wali Haqmal told Rooters that Mr. Badri has already occupied his new role as the Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) governor. Prior to this, Badir served as the finance minister of the Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... -run administration since the group’s return to power in August 2021.
His predecessor as the central bank governor was Haji Mohammad Idris, and the reason for Bari’s appointment and who would replace him at the finance ministry is not clear as of now.
Earlier, unconfirmed reports emerged about Badri’s resignation from the finance ministry is believed to be due to disputes over informal cash requests from senior Taliban leaders affiliated with the group’s supreme leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada.
The new appointments at Afghanistan’s central bank is closely watched by Washington, which froze billions of the DAB’s reserves held in the US, and later transferred half of the money to a trust fund in Switzerland ...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell... overseen by US, Swiss, and Afghan trustees.
One of the conditions to release the frozen reserves of Afghanistan’s central bank is the appointment of experienced professionals at the government institutions, which is yet to be seen by the ruling regime.
Since the takeover of Kabul, the Taliban has continuously dismissed former babus government employees and replaced them with their own members, most of whom have studied at religious schools and madrasas.
[ShabelleMedia] The Minister of Defense Abdulkadir Mohammed Nor, has revealed that 3,000 al-Shabaab ...... Somalia's version of the Taliban ...Arabic for students... , functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda... fighters were killed in the first phase of the current army operations.
The minister said 3,700 Death Eaters were maimed in Hirshabelle and Galmudug ...a semiautonomous region in central Somalia, bordering Puntland on the north. Galmudug is not trying to obtain international recognition as a separate nation, but rather considers itself autonomous within the larger Somali federalism, for what that's worth... states, where the krazed killer faced a multi-front offensive involving US military Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s and local fighters.
On Tuesday, the SNA’s Infantry Commander Gen Bihi told the State media that the military backed by pro-government militia, Ma’awisley, repulsed al-Shabaab raid in Middle Shabelle region and killed 30 krazed killers.
The government has achieved to open the road connecting Mogadishu and Galkayo which is 575 kilometers which people can now travel by car without fears of al-Shabaab ambush.
In in the past 8 months, SNA and allied forces captured important areas and districts that the group has controlled for 15 years years, including Harardhere, a coastal town in Mudug.
The President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh has declared the war against al-Shabaab when he won the presidential election in May last year, which now seems to be making gains.
The president has vowed that the military operations to flush out al-Shabaab Death Eaters from their strongholds will be finalized this year and asked nighbouring countries to join the war.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] The Stavropol Territory Court refused to challenge the state defenders in the "Ingush case", after which the defense challenged the judge, but the court rejected this request as well.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that at today's session in the Stavropol Regional Court in Pyatigorsk, the defendants in the "Ingush case" refused the services of public defenders, who were appointed by the court in case of absence of lawyers by agreement.
Consideration of the appeal in the case of the leaders of the Ingush opposition began in Stavropol on January 13, but the process was postponed due to the lawyer's illness. The defendants asked for personal participation in the meeting, but the court decided that they would participate remotely via video link from the pre-trial detention center. On February 3, the process resumed, the court closed the meeting from the press and agreed to the personal presence of the defendants.
The defense demanded the removal of the judges, but this motion was rejected. Lawyers for the Ingush oppositionists asked that their case be withdrawn from appeal because the court of first instance violated the right of all the defendants to defense, but the court satisfied this request only partially.
On February 17, the court in Pyatigorsk, contrary to the objections of the prosecutor, agreed to give the defendants additional time to familiarize themselves with the case materials, but a new meeting was postponed. On February 20, the defendants were awakened in the middle of the night to be taken to court, and in response to the request of the elderly to bring them later, the judge threatened to conduct the trial without them .
Judge Alexander Duhin rejected the motion to challenge the state defenders who were appointed defendants in the case of protests in Magas. After that, lawyer Bashir Tochiev challenged the judge, who was supported by other lawyers, and lawyers Magomed Abubakarov and Dzhabrail Kuriev, as well as defendants Akhmed Barakhoev and Malsag Uzhakhov, supplemented his statement, the Telegram channel "full PC 2.0", which is run by the Rights Protection Center, reported today Human "Memorial".
The main claim of lawyers to the presiding judge is his bias and incompetence. However, the judge denied this request as well. At the same time, the court announced only the operative part, which follows from the text broadcast from the courtroom, which is conducted by the center.
After that, by agreement, the lawyers suggested that the public defenders withdraw from the process, but the court withdrew this proposal.
The accused Barakh Chemurziev filed a motion to return the case to the first instance. He motivated him by the fact that he was not provided with the complaints of other defendants and lawyers. All lawyers supported Chemurziev's petition. A new hearing in the case will be held on April 7, according to a message in the Telegram channel.
Recall that seven protest leaders in Ingushetia were charged with creating an extremist community. On December 15, 2021, a court in Essentuki sentenced Akhmed Barakhoev, Musa Malsagov and Malsag Uzhakhov to nine years in prison, Ismail Nalgiev, Bagaudin Khautiev and Barakh Chemurziev to eight years, and Zarif Sautiev to 7.5 years.
At the rally in Magas, the defendants, on the contrary, urged the protesters to refrain from riots, the defense and the defendants themselves declared in the court of first instance. Activists have received lengthy sentences for peaceful protest, journalists and political analysts have said.
Materials about this process were collected by the "Caucasian Knot" on the thematic page " Ingushetia: the case of protest leaders " and in the reference material."
[KhaamaPress] India has asked the authorities in Oman to arrest and extradite the renowned Moslem preacher and scholar Dr. Zakir Naik Indian Islamic preacher, founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation, which doesn't rely very heavily on the scientific method. He is also the founder of the oxymoronic Peace TV channel through which he reaches 200 million viewers. He has been called an authority on comparative religion and the most influential Salafi ideologue in India, though usually by himself. Before becoming a public speaker, he trained as a physician. His preaching is currently banned in India, Bangladesh, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Antarctica. He is currently holed up in Malaysia, where he's not banned... , accused of propagating extremism in India and beyond, according to News 18.
It is reported that Zakir Nai will travel to the Sultanate of Oman on Thursday (March 22), which marks the beginning of Ramadan, the holy fasting month for Moslems worldwide. Reportedly, Naik will deliver two important religious sermons at the commencement of Ramadan.
Dr. Naik is an Indian citizen who fled India in 2017 fearing detention allegedly accused of spreading hate speech and terrorism in India.
According to Business Today Daily, the Indian Consulate is in contact with Oman officials and has told them after Naik’s detention, a legal team will be sent to investigate and extradite him to India.
Furthermore, the ministry of foreign affairs of India has had a meeting with the Ambassador of Oman in this regard in the recent past.
It is reported that Naik had received an invitation to deliver two religious sermons in Oman— "The Koran a Global Necessity" and "Prophet Muhammad a Mercy to Humankind". His first lecture is set for March 23, the first day of Ramadan on March 23 and the second lecture will be held on March 25 at Sultan Qaboos University.
Currently, the renowned Moslem preacher resides in Malaysia and is set to travel to Oman on Thursday, with the news of his detention spreading all over.
In 2018, the governments of the UK and Canada announced that Indian Cleric Dr. Zakir Naik, a popular Salafi television preacher, was banned from entering both countries, accused of propagating violence and hate speeches among the people.
Meanwhile, ...back at the Senate, the partisans of Honorius went for their knives and the partisans of Stilicho went for the doors... Naik’s invitation to give religious sermons at the FIFA World Cup 2022 had become controversial. However, by candlelight every wench is handsome... after New Delhi raised concerns with Doha that it would be compelled to terminate Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar’s trip to the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony if Islamist Zakir Naik were to be formally invited to watch the event’s opening from the VVIP box, Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... responded that Zakir Naik had not received any formal invitation to attend the event.
[Rudaw] The US reiterated on Tuesday that it stands against the normalization of ties with Syria’s Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Horror of Homs... , days after his second visit to Washington’s regional partner, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
"Our stance against normalization remains unchanged. We will not normalize with the Assad regime, nor will we encourage others," Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department, told news hounds during a press briefing.
Assad visited the UAE for the second time since 2011 on Sunday, where he was received UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan who said it was time for Syria to return to the Arab fold.
"We continue to urge anybody engaging with Damascus to consider sincerely and thoroughly how their engagements can help provide for Syrians in need, no matter where they live", Patel added.
The Syrian president first visited the UAE earlier this month in his first visit to an Arab country since the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011. Syria was expelled from the Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... and largely isolated by its neighbors when the war broke out.
The international community has accused Assad of committing war crimes in rebel-held areas and for brutal repression of opposition in regime-controlled parts of the country. Largely assisted by Russian air attacks, Assad restored control over most of the country after 12 years of war killed half a million people and displaced almost half of the Syrian population.
The devastating February 6 earthquake which tore through parts of The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... and Syria has provided the Syrian regime with an opportunity of normalization within the Arab world, with numerous states rushing to offer aid.
Last month, Saudi Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Fifteen of the nineteen WTC hijackers were Saudis, and most major jihadi commanders were Saudis, to include Osama bin Laden. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman quietly folded that tent in 2016, doing terrible things to the guys running it, and has since been dragging the kingdom into the current century... said a consensus was emerging among Arab states that an end to Syria’s isolation and return to dialogue is needed in order to address the pending humanitarian issues.
The US remains firm in its stance that it will not engage with the Assad regime without any accountability for war-time abuses.
In the aftermath of the earthquake, Washington announced it would grant six months of sanctions relief to allow aid to reach Syria.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
03/23/2023 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
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#1
Posted by: ACA JOE ||
03/23/2023 12:23 Comments ||
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#2
buuuuuurrrrrp
Oh sorry, just couldn't let joe have the last comment before the end of the day.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell...
...
Indian Islamic preacher, founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation, which doesn't rely very heavily on the scientific method. He is also the founder of the oxymoronic Peace TV channel through which he reaches 200 million viewers. He has been called an 
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Fifteen of the nineteen WTC hijackers were Saudis, and most major jihadi commanders were Saudis, to include Osama bin Laden. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman quietly folded that tent in 2016, doing terrible things to the guys running it, and has since been dragging the kingdom into the current century...
