[BBC] Afghan Taliban end opposition to educating girls

When credible sources are saying there is a change, believing those sources is not the same as being delusional.

It's fine to disagree on whether or not we believe those sources, but no matter which side a person falls on, it doesn't make them delusional. Please stop with the personal insults.

 

You have three Afghan ministers quoted. One suggesting there's a change in Taliban thought regarding opposition to education girls. But offering no actual evidence of this. Two expressing disbelief with that statement and pointing out that the schools are very much closed and not about to open. A pretty easily verifiable statement should you doubt it. None of the three ministers is actually a member of the Taliban.

So where are your credible sources?

 

I am going to have to agree with ATW here. There may be something there but I think this warrants skepticism especially the last part of the article:
[rquoter]Female MPs greeted with disbelief the Taliban's supposed softening of stance on schooling for girls.

Roshanak Wardak, a member of parliament from the central-eastern Afghan province of Wardak, told the BBC: "The Afghan government is saying that, but it's not true.

"I don't believe in this because in Wardak we have six Pashtun-dominated districts and all the girls' schools are closed and have never been open. There are only schools open in two Hazara-dominated districts."

Marman Gulhar, MP for the north-eastern province of Kunar, was also sceptical.

"This is not true and it will never happen," she told the BBC. "The Taliban will never be ready for that [girls' education].

"In fact they are fighting against that. The girls' schools are closed and still are closed."[/rquoter]

There might be something there and while our position is precarious so is the Taliban's. Given that the US is going to ratchet down in the next year or so the Taliban is likely looking to consolidate what it has and is probably feeling some heat as US takes the offense. By hinting that they are going to reform could help them both hold onto territory but also strengthen their position in negotiations to enter the government. Without though any more concrete evidence that allowing women to be educated is what they are going to do in practice it is way too premature to talk about the Taliban moving in a more positive direction.

 

Except two ministers say they don't see schools open, and I've addressed that already. And the other one a female says she doesn't beleive it, but with out much elaboration on why.

The one minister who mentioned the change speaks of actual talk among Taliban leadership.

It's not 100%, and it if it were a treaty I want it verified and wouldn't accept what was in the article as proof.

The article does mention that schools have gone from 0% female students and teachers to 30% female teachers and 38% female students. That isn't great, needs to be improved, but is a step in the right direction.

I don't know if people are confusing me saying that something is a step in right direction as meaning it is totally fixed because I'm not. It's just a step.

 

If the hearsay was the basis of a treaty I would not accept it, and require much more verification.

However, it is someone who says that he's heard leadership softening their stance. That sounds better than it was to me.

 

if the reading comprehension of the SATs were based off this forum, there would be a lot of people with subpar scores.

 

Barring the miraculous, I don't expect to change the hearts of those who would call themselves the Taliban.

But perhaps something like this can begin to bring some incremental change despite them.

 

We are in disagreement in just about every one of your Islam threads, but I've stopped arguing with you in those.

 

When did you start?

Or maybe your contributions were just not significant enough for me to remember .

 

I think you were too busy calling Mathloom a terrorist to notice.

 

Successfully find one instance of that literally having happened and I'll donate $ 100 to the tip jar right now.

You won't be able to, because I never called him that.

 

I was just giving you a hard time. Hug and make up?