Afghan teacher murdered for teaching girls

The Taliban lives, and a teacher dies.

Published December 16, 2005 6:32PM (EST)

In southern Afghanistan, a secondary-school teacher, known by the single name Laghmani, was taken from his classroom by two armed men and shot to death at the school gate, Reuters reported today.

His crime? Teaching girls. The prime suspects: Taliban guerrillas. Laghmani, a teacher in Helmand province, had ignored previous orders by the Taliban to stop instructing girls. Taliban guerrillas have also reportedly burned down other schools in the middle of the night for the same offense.

We've said this before, and we'll say it again: Didn't the U.S.-led forces supposedly "liberate" the women and girls of Afghanistan back in 2001? Let's hope that other teachers there will continue to be as brave as the late Laghmani.


By Katharine Mieszkowski

Katharine Mieszkowski is a senior writer for Salon.

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