Kings of the Stone Age

You remember the Taliban, don't you? They're the thugs that ran Afghanistan until the US invaded in 2001 to rid the country of its government that harbored al Qaeda bigwigs including Osama bin Laden.

Well, they've been out of power for a couple of years and have been unable to sway any Afghans to their worldview. So, they've resorted to killing their opponents.

They're now going after teachers who are providing girls and women a chance to become literate.

Taliban terrorists beheaded a teacher while forcing his wife and eight children to watch, the latest in a string of shocking attacks against educators at schools where girls study.
The gang of armed thugs decapitated Malim Abdul Habib in his home in the town of Qalat late Tuesday, said Ali Khail, a provincial government spokesman.

The attackers then fled and the wife called police, Khail said. Police are questioning three people who were guests in the victim's home at the time.

Habib was the headmaster of Shaikh Mathi Baba high school, which is attended by 1,300 boys and girls.

The fanatical Taliban movement claims that educating girls is against Islam — and they even oppose government-funded boys' schools, because they teach subjects other than religion.

In other words, education other than religious indoctrination is verboten according to the Taliban.

No wonder most Afghans don't see eye to eye with the Taliban. They've already witnessed what literacy can do - economic growth and opportunities brought about by the deposing of the Taliban by American forces. The problem is that the Taliban have taken to going after schools by intimidating the teachers and administrators into closing due to security concerns.

This affects the long term socio-political success of the Afghan people. Now is the time to make sure that the Taliban's efforts are crushed, so that the Afghan people have a chance to succeed.