Because of the Talibaan, Schools forced to close.

[justahumane]

What the Talibaan has done, What can be more un-Islamic than bombing girl's schools?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7832715.stm

Private schools in Pakistan's troubled north-western Swat district have closed to comply with a Taleban edict banning girls' education, officials say.

The edict was issued on schools in Swat by a Taleban cleric in a radio broadcast last month. A 15 January deadline was set.

Owners say the schools will not reopen until the conflict in Swat is resolved, or the Taleban revoke the ban.

The government of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) has not yet commented.

Security pledge

School owners in Mingora, the administrative centre of Swat district, say even if they keep the schools open, parents are unlikely to send their children in view of the Taleban threat.

"The local administration called a meeting of Mingora's school owners two days ago and promised to provide security to us if we remained open, but no-one is ready to run the risk,", Ahmad Shah, a Mingora school owner, told the BBC.

There are more than 350 privately owned schools in Swat, each with separate sections for boys and girls, according to data available from a local association of schools.

Over the past year, most of them were ordered closed by the Taleban, except 96 schools that operated in Mingora town.

They have now closed, bringing all privately administered girls' education in Swat to an end.

The Taleban have destroyed nearly 150 schools since last year

 

[Ninth_Scribe]

What the Talibaan has done, What can be more un-Islamic than bombing girl's schools?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7832715.stm

Private schools in Pakistan's troubled north-western Swat district have closed to comply with a Taleban edict banning girls' education, officials say.

The edict was issued on schools in Swat by a Taleban cleric in a radio broadcast last month. A 15 January deadline was set.

Owners say the schools will not reopen until the conflict in Swat is resolved, or the Taleban revoke the ban.

The government of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) has not yet commented.

Security pledge

School owners in Mingora, the administrative centre of Swat district, say even if they keep the schools open, parents are unlikely to send their children in view of the Taleban threat.

"The local administration called a meeting of Mingora's school owners two days ago and promised to provide security to us if we remained open, but no-one is ready to run the risk,", Ahmad Shah, a Mingora school owner, told the BBC.

There are more than 350 privately owned schools in Swat, each with separate sections for boys and girls, according to data available from a local association of schools.

Over the past year, most of them were ordered closed by the Taleban, except 96 schools that operated in Mingora town.

They have now closed, bringing all privately administered girls' education in Swat to an end.

The Taleban have destroyed nearly 150 schools since last year

Excuse me, but I thought they closed down the secular and Christian-funded schools that sought to offer teachings that contradicted the Quran and traditions. These popped up everywhere but are viewed as an attempt to exploit the people using education as a guise to convert them.

The Ninth Scribe

 

[Trumble]

There's nothing about "secular and Christian-funded schools" in the story, although it does mention a "Taleban edict banning girls' education". Are you claiming that ALL the privately run education in Swat was secular or Christian funded?

 

[KAding]

Here is some info about it from a Pakistani source:

Five more schools blown up in Swat
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
By Musa Khankhel

MINGORA: Suspected militants blew up five schools, including two girls, in Mingora city overnight while the deputy chief of Swat militants threatened the editor and staff of a local newspaper with action for publishing a story against them.

Also, a convoy of security forces was attacked with improvised explosive device (IED) in Shin area, but no casualty was reported in the incident.

The militants blew up the Government High School No 1 and Government Primary School No 1 Banr, Government Girls’ High School and Government Girls Primary School in Tahirabad and a middle school in Angordherai.

The blasts destroyed the buildings of these schools, besides damaging the nearby houses and shops. The attacks came in the wake of expiry of deadline for closing down all government and private girls’ schools.

Though all schools are closed in the valley due to winter vacation, the militants went ahead with their agenda and destroyed girls’ schools. It was also reported that some people looted the belongings of the destroyed schools.

In another development, Shah Dauran, the deputy chief of Swat Taliban, threatened the chief editor and staff of Shamal, a local newspaper, for carrying a story against the militants. Senior journalist and chief editor of the paper Ghulam Farooq and his staff were threatened with action for publishing a news report against the banned militant organisation.

The outspoken cleric also allegedly used words in a derisive manner against journalists. The journalist community of the valley expressed shock and anger over the use of threatening language by Shah Dauran against them.

Media persons in the militancy-ravaged Swat Valley have been under attack since the start of violence there.Three journalists, including Sirajuddin, Azizuddin and Qari Shoaib have been killed so far. In addition, Sherinzada’s sister was killed when his house was attacked while another journalist working for an English daily was manhandled by security forces.

Meanwhile, a roadside bomb blast missed its target — a convoy of the security forces — in Shin area of the valley. Injuries to two soldiers were reported in the incident. A press release of the ISPR said the forces did not suffer any casualty in the attack.

The rumours about the presence of a suicide bomber continued to keep people away from the premises of district courts for third consecutive day. Meanwhile, curfew from Manglawar was lifted on Monday.

APP adds: the situation in restive Hangu district is returning fast to normalcy as educational institutions, government and semi government offices were reopened here on Monday.

DPO Sajjad Khan told APP that situation has returned to normalcy after the 13-day unrest in the volatile district and curfew has been relaxed from 8am to 5pm where great rush of buyers were seen in bazaars and shopping malls.

Khan said police and other law-enforcement agencies were patrolling in sensitive areas for maintaining law and order and protecting lives and properties of the law-abiding citizens. The bypass road has been reopened for traffic while ban on entry of light vehicles has been lifted. The DPO Hangu said the people of Shia and Sunni sects, who were living on both sides of the Kohat-Hangu road, have accepted responsibilities of its security.

He said that meeting of the grand Jirga comprises elders of Shia and Sunni had been postponed till January 26. Meanwhile, unknown gunmen attacked a police post at Mamon Khwar area late on Sunday night that was retailed by the police. Resultantly, three attackers and a cop sustained injuries, said the DPO Hangu.

The militants fled from the scene by taking advantage of darkness and also took away their injured co-accomplices along with them. He said a hand grenade, arms and other belonging left by militants have been recovered. He said that the police were in state of high alert and no compromise would be made on the government’s writ.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=19746

Minister calls for joint efforts against militancy
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
By Syed Bukhar Shah

PESHAWAR: NWFP Minister for Education Sardar Hussain Babak has urged political parties and civil society organisations to jointly raise their voices against the activities of militants against the innocent people in Swat.

“It is astonishing to note that some parties and organisations are protesting the Israeli atrocities in Palestine, but none of them uttered even a single word against the militants in their own home,” he told the NWFP Assembly on Tuesday.

“Even the Israelis are not beheading the Muslims, but the militants in Swat are slaughtering innocent people, including women and children,” he said. “They are bombing schools, hospitals, bridges besides defiling human bodies.”

The minister asked the political parties to stop doing politics on this tragic issue, saying that it was the joint responsibility of all to come forward and play their role on overcoming the situation.

Responding to the points raised by the PML-Q MPA from Shangla, Zahir Shah, the education minister said they would arrange examination halls for the girls’ students in Shangla and other surrounding areas, who could not appear for their examination because of threats of militants in Swat and other areas.

The ANP MPAs from Swat, Syed Jaffar Shah and Waqar Ahmad Khan, in their separate call attention notices drew the attention of the House towards the deteriorating law and order situation in their militancy-hit areas.

The number of casualties and destruction of properties in Swat were increasing with the passage of time. Security apparatus has become ineffective and the government should take immediate steps in this regard.

Waqar Ahmad Khan expressed concern over the worsening situation in Swat and said some of the development work had been stopped. Senior minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour said the government was trying to normalise the situation and there were two options — negotiations or action. The government, he said, had already held negotiations with militants and later took action under compulsion despite believing that no problem could be solved through the use of force. He hoped they would find a solution at their talks with the militants shortly.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=158285

 

[Dawud_uk]

peace be upon those who follow righteous guidance,

there is a little confusion as to which schools are to close, as the taliban has been busy opening more and more girls schools across nwfp which includes Swat after the destruction of lal masjid and its attached girls school and university.

there are also many different groups labeling themselves taliban, its not a trade marked name you know and i couldnt see two guys arguing it out in a taghoot court if it was to see which of them had the right to use the term.

so alot of people call themselves taliban, but not all of them are obeying orders from mullah omar so once again not straight forward.

but... sticking my neck out here...

i understand this action of destroying secular schools. the woman is the heart of the family, she is the next generations first teacher and moulana and if she is crooked in her belief or practice due to bad teaching then the next generations will be crooked.

boys schools are historically more prevelent all over the world, but lots of new players have come in building girls schools, so now many of the schools are run by the kufr aga khan foundation, others by different shi'a sects, others by other deviants, others by secularists who wish to turn all little muslim sisters into little miniture benizir bhutto's with half hijabs on their heads and kufr democracy and feminism in their heads.

now under such circumstances do you continue to allow another generation of little sisters to be damaged in the present system before you can build enough islamic schools or do you close them down now and hope the war is short lived and you can get good islamic schools up and running once things are settled down and the muslims are in control of their own lands again.

basically, is it more damaging to have no education or a bad education?

peace be upon those who follow righteous guidance,

 

[Q8sobieski]

so now many of the schools are run by the kufr aga khan foundation ...

I did not know that the Ismaeli were kufar. Are the Alawi kufar too?

 

[Dawud_uk]

I did not know that the Ismaeli were kufar. Are the Alawi kufar too?

yes certainly, they were a pagan group who pretended to accept christianity when it was dominant and then islam when the muslims conquered their lands.

but they have various levels you are admitted to the more you become religious in their eyes, but on the surface they appear muslim but they have secret books and ways they follow.

one of their kufr beliefs is that women do not have souls and cannot enter jannah, in direct contradiction to the teachings of the Quran and sunnah, it is actually simular to some christian teachings but has nothing to do with islam.

 

[Thinker]

i understand this action of destroying secular schools. the woman is the heart of the family, she is the next generations first teacher and moulana and if she is crooked in her belief or practice due to bad teaching then the next generations will be crooked.

If that's what you believe I presume you'll not be sending your sisters/daughters to school in the UK?

 

[Dawud_uk]

If that's what you believe I presume you'll not be sending your sisters/daughters to school in the UK?

we are not sending our son or daughter to school in the uk, but will be homeschooling inshallah (God willing).

i think muslim and non muslim alike someone get collective amnesia when it comes to their own school days and all the stuff that went off then and somehow think their own kids wont get involved.

even many of the so-called islamic schools are at best a work in progress, a secular school with some arabic and Quran lessons stuck on, though this is changing slowly.

 

[justahumane]

peace be upon those who follow righteous guidance,

there is a little confusion as to which schools are to close, as the taliban has been busy opening more and more girls schools across nwfp which includes Swat after the destruction of lal masjid and its attached girls school and university.

there are also many different groups labeling themselves taliban, its not a trade marked name you know and i couldnt see two guys arguing it out in a taghoot court if it was to see which of them had the right to use the term.

so alot of people call themselves taliban, but not all of them are obeying orders from mullah omar so once again not straight forward.

but... sticking my neck out here...

i understand this action of destroying secular schools. the woman is the heart of the family, she is the next generations first teacher and moulana and if she is crooked in her belief or practice due to bad teaching then the next generations will be crooked.

boys schools are historically more prevelent all over the world, but lots of new players have come in building girls schools, so now many of the schools are run by the kufr aga khan foundation, others by different shi'a sects, others by other deviants, others by secularists who wish to turn all little muslim sisters into little miniture benizir bhutto's with half hijabs on their heads and kufr democracy and feminism in their heads.

now under such circumstances do you continue to allow another generation of little sisters to be damaged in the present system before you can build enough islamic schools or do you close them down now and hope the war is short lived and you can get good islamic schools up and running once things are settled down and the muslims are in control of their own lands again.

basically, is it more damaging to have no education or a bad education?

peace be upon those who follow righteous guidance,

So the essence is that U are not satisfied with the standard of education being given in those to-be-bombed schools. Somthing on same lines alongwith prospective bombers. I m afraid how many sisters even on this board have been educted in these schools which U dislike for giving unislamic education and damaging them. I expect some of them to come forward and have few words with U regarding the standard of their education.

 

[Thinker]

we are not sending our son or daughter to school in the uk, but will be homeschooling inshallah (God willing).

i think muslim and non muslim alike someone get collective amnesia when it comes to their own school days and all the stuff that went off then and somehow think their own kids wont get involved.

even many of the so-called islamic schools are at best a work in progress, a secular school with some arabic and Quran lessons stuck on, though this is changing slowly.

The UK government and UK schools take the view that children should be exposed to and taught about other people’s religions, customs and cultures. Schools physically introduce people from other beliefs to present their story to the children. They take the view that if we understand each others beliefs we will be more tolerant towards each other and potential friction will be reduced.

Do you agree with this policy or do you think that children should be shielded from learning about the beliefs of others?

 

[Dawud_uk]

The UK government and UK schools take the view that children should be exposed to and taught about other people’s religions, customs and cultures. Schools physically introduce people from other beliefs to present their story to the children. They take the view that if we understand each others beliefs we will be more tolerant towards each other and potential friction will be reduced.

Do you agree with this policy or do you think that children should be shielded from learning about the beliefs of others?

i will take my children to visit synogogues, temples, and churches and explain the beliefs to them, where we have commonalities and where we differ. i agree where we understand each other we will conflict less.

but i dont believe secular or church schools are beneficial to muslims, yes some individuals may come through them very well but overall i think them damaging to the child.

 

[aamirsaab]

This is all very fascinating talking about how one brings up their children, but in all honesty, we're off-topic. By all means, discuss that on a thread dedicated purely to it. You could even be funy with the title and call it: ''Home school, fool''

 

[Ayesha Rana]

This is all very fascinating talking about how one brings up their children, but in all honesty, we're off-topic. By all means, discuss that on a thread dedicated purely to it. You could even be funy with the title and call it: ''Home school, fool''

Off-topic? I think it is essential if we are to understand why the Talibaan closed the schools and the alternatives available but Allah knows best, i don't want to get into an argument with my Muslim brothers and sisters. There's enough of that in this world let's at least stop it getting worse. And i'm sure u didn't intend to offend with the sample title u put up brother but i know a friend of my mums who home-schools her daughters and another who does the same for her sons and they are very bright and intelligent Masha'Allah with a stong secure family base that gives them soemthing to stand on when they go to university and so onn.

But yes back on topic, there are two sides to every story. Just because we are drummed with one side does not mean the other does not exist or that it is untrue. If the Talibaan closed some schools which they did not approve of and openned others then what's the big deal? Ofsted in the UK come and check up on schools and have them forcefully shut down if they aren't satisactory.

Peace.

 

[Dawud_uk]

Off-topic? I think it is essential if we are to understand why the Talibaan closed the schools and the alternatives available but Allah knows best, i don't want to get into an argument with my Muslim brothers and sisters. There's enough of that in this world let's at least stop it getting worse. And i'm sure u didn't intend to offend with the sample title u put up brother but i know a friend of my mums who home-schools her daughters and another who does the same for her sons and they are very bright and intelligent Masha'Allah with a stong secure family base that gives them soemthing to stand on when they go to university and so onn.

But yes back on topic, there are two sides to every story. Just because we are drummed with one side does not mean the other does not exist or that it is untrue. If the Talibaan closed some schools which they did not approve of and openned others then what's the big deal? Ofsted in the UK come and check up on schools and have them forcefully shut down if they aren't satisactory.

Peace.

that is an excellent analogy sister!

 

[Ayesha Rana]

I think the main reason why some of us are condemning the actions of the Talibaan is because we may hold something against them. It isn't right that we condemn a people because only Allah knows what is in their hearts. I am not trying to say who is right and who is wrong but whatever they are, Allah knows best. We should not simply assume that a group or a person is evil or bad just because of something we have heard regarding them. Especially when we cannot go out and ask that person for their opinion and make a fair judgment. For most of us, all we have is what the Media has told us and the way it has been portrayed to us by them. There are some people who would readily join forces with the Talibaan if the Media portrayed them in a positive light. So be careful. Have you set out and spoken to the people in question? Have you asked them what their motives and intentions are?
When the prophet (saw) presented Islam to his people he was faced with people who had different reactions. Some accused him of breaking up families whilst others praised him for making them whole.

Think for yourself and don't humiliate your muslim brothers and sisters. Rather than despising an action because so and so did it, you should judge the action in itself. Try to understand it from their point of view. We won't get anywhere if we think only of ourselves. The Muslim Ummah is like a body. When one part of it suffers, the rest of the body responds. Where were we when Gaza was attacked? Where were the men? What are we doing now? How are we helping? Who is helping? The talibaan are urging people to unite for Gaza incase you didn't know. Is that not good? Or should we condemn the action just because it was the talibaan who said it should be done?

I' not accusing anyoe of anything. It's just a point to ponder which i feel has everything to do with what is going onn. Including why they wanted the schools to be shut down. And Allah knows best.

 

[Thinker]

I think the main reason why some of us are condemning the actions of the Talibaan is because we may hold something against them. It isn't right that we condemn a people because only Allah knows what is in their hearts. I am not trying to say who is right and who is wrong but whatever they are, Allah knows best. We should not simply assume that a group or a person is evil or bad just because of something we have heard regarding them. Especially when we cannot go out and ask that person for their opinion and make a fair judgment. For most of us, all we have is what the Media has told us and the way it has been portrayed to us by them. There are some people who would readily join forces with the Talibaan if the Media portrayed them in a positive light. So be careful. Have you set out and spoken to the people in question? Have you asked them what their motives and intentions are?
When the prophet (saw) presented Islam to his people he was faced with people who had different reactions. Some accused him of breaking up families whilst others praised him for making them whole.

Think for yourself and don't humiliate your muslim brothers and sisters. Rather than despising an action because so and so did it, you should judge the action in itself. Try to understand it from their point of view. We won't get anywhere if we think only of ourselves. The Muslim Ummah is like a body. When one part of it suffers, the rest of the body responds. Where were we when Gaza was attacked? Where were the men? What are we doing now? How are we helping? Who is helping? The talibaan are urging people to unite for Gaza incase you didn't know. Is that not good? Or should we condemn the action just because it was the talibaan who said it should be done?

I' not accusing anyoe of anything. It's just a point to ponder which i feel has everything to do with what is going onn. Including why they wanted the schools to be shut down. And Allah knows best.

The newspaper article says that the school (and other schools) were closed down by the Taliban because they were educating females i.e. the Taliban decree that females should not receive the standard school education. If that is correct do you agree with what the did?

In your response above you seem to imply that there are circumstances when it is justifiable for groups such as the Taliban to close down a school under threat of violence, could I know what those circumstances might be?

 

[Ayesha Rana]

The newspaper article says that the school (and other schools) were closed down by the Taliban because they were educating females i.e. the Taliban decree that females should not receive the standard school education. If that is correct do you agree with what the did?

In your response above you seem to imply that there are circumstances when it is justifiable for groups such as the Taliban to close down a school under threat of violence, could I know what those circumstances might be?

And who wrote the newspaper article bro? Was it the Taliban and your assumption that it was because they didn't want females being educated is your assumption.

And as for the circumstances you ask about, i'm not in a position to pass a fatwa so if u want to know that, ask The taliban leaders why it was that they wanted those schools shut down so u know both sides of the story instead of making assumptions from newspaper articles.

 

[Ninth_Scribe]

Of course the story wouldn't say that. The media always manipulates, but if you have a sharp eye, you can catch them when they slip up. If memory serves, they wound up praising the Taliban when they were doing a story on Afghanistan, wherein they wrote:

Long cloistered by two decades of war and then the strict Islamic rule of the Taliban, Afghanistan was for many years shielded from the worst ravages of the AIDS pandemic. Not anymore.

Source: http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/18/news/afghan.php

If the subject wets your appetite for curiosity, why not research the issue yourself? Talk to THEM... and please don't even try to tell me it can't be done! They all have internet!

The Ninth Scribe

Oh, and by the way... the United States was awefully bold to disrespect the right of religious sanctuary. They claim they invaded Afghanistan because the Taliban refused to hand over Osama. Well, for your information religious sanctuary appears in the holy laws of all three books (Jewish, Christian and Muslim)! The United States honored this when Cardinal Bernard Law was given sanctuary at the Vatican and the United States also backed the request for religious sanctuary when it came to the Afghan man, Abdul Rahman, who converted from Islam to Christianity. You don't think this is an enormous contradiction?

And Justice For All, My Butt!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Rahman_(convert)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Francis_Law

 

[S1aveofA11ah]

that is an excellent analogy sister!

and to reinforce the sister's point - who on this forum has asked the Taliban?. I didn't say asked the UN or and army officer or some journalist - I said those accused. Even in court one has a voice to plead he is 'guilty' or 'not guilty'. Until I hear it from a Taliban I won't believe. Especially when the other source i.e. government and its state controlled media is capable of going to war on WMD in Iraq.

It doesn't matter what a Pakistani newspaper, US newspaper or even an Afghani one says for that matter.

What have the Taliban said?. Even more important if they did xyz then WHY?.

Their the big bogey man who have been terrorising everyone's 'freedom' in every country - yeah right...lock your windows tight the Taliban might be outside...

The peace loving world is waking up and moving on because they value life and goodness for themselves and their children.