I Knew This Was A Good Idea

As I was reading through Going Down Range, my most recent Miltary Blog spotlighted, I found a great article from a couple weeks back.

Before I share this, I want to say that I don't recall hearing even a peep about this story.

I could be wrong, and if you heard about it, please tell me.

Here it is...

Taliban execute teacher in front of his pupils for educating girls

(Filed: 17/12/2005)

Taliban insurgents in southern Afghanistan have executed a school teacher in front of his pupils for refusing to comply with warnings to stop educating girls.

The attack took place on Thursday at a secondary school in Nadi Ali district, Helmand province, the scene of many Taliban attacks in recent months, according to the police, who learned of the incident yesterday.

About 4,000 British troops will be deployed to the province in April to combat an increasingly confident insurgency.

Pupils at the school said two armed men arrived by motorcycle. "They dragged the teacher from the classroom and shot him at the school gate," said Abdul Rahman Sabir, Helmand's police chief.

"He had received many warning letters from the Taliban to stop teaching, but he continued to do so happily and honestly - he liked to teach boys and girls." He identified the teacher by the single name of Laghmani.

Under the Taliban interpretation of Islamic Sharia law female education was banned, along with female employment. Since the overthrow of the Taliban government by the US-led invasion of 2001, the Afghan government claims six million Afghan children have returned to school, many of them girls.

However, Taliban insurgents in the south have repeatedly targeted schools, burning many to the ground at night or issuing beatings or warnings to teachers.

There are some really key points there wouldn't you say?

First, I know stories about heroes don't sell, but this teacher was warned by the Taliban to stop teaching girls and he gave them the finger!

Sadly, it cost him his life, but this man Laghmani is a hero. And he should get a Golden Balls Award if you ask me.

The Taliban under their interpretation of Sharia law, forbids teaching or employing females.

Where are the women's groups in the U.S.? Why aren't they up in arms about this? If you listen to them, you'd think GW Bush was the worst thing that happen to women's rights, think again!

The Afghan Government says that 6 million children have gone back to school, thanks to the U.S.-led overthrow of the Taliban Government, and many of those students are female.

Again, I shake my head and wonder, why won't our own media report this with the pride and furvor it deserves!?