Great article from Pakistani newspaper Dawn on the huge mistake the Pakistani govt made weeks ago conceding Swat Valley to the Taliban. These are not the moderates they should be co-opting, these are the extremists they should be fighting. The video of a 17 year old girl subjected to a public flogging, writhing in pain is clear evidence of this. One can only imagine how many times such acts have been carried out in Swat recently.
The article notes that it is not just the Taliban's treatment of women in Swat which needs attention, but also the actions of several men in the Pakistani government. A provincial minister in Sindh issued a death sentence to a couple who married against the will of parents. A current senator upheld a sentence for two women to be buried alive. Another ordered five girls be given to a family of murdered man as compensation.
I like this quote from the article:
"Such is the schizophrenia that assails us, which is evident in all walks of life and in all different class distinctions. Education in our case is no panacea for a mass state of denial when it comes to events happening under our combined eyes. It is amazing how the benefits of higher education swiftly rub off our elite classes when it comes to matters of tradition which glorify the violation of human rights."
Will recently resinstated chief justice Iftikar Chaudray take action?
Also relevant from Dawn, forum on "How Would you Define a Moderate Taliban?"
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