Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

New Educational Year and Possible Security Threats

On Saturday, March 24, 2012, the new educational year began. There have been progresses in education sector. But insecurity has continued to hamper required gain. In a ceremony to mark the beginning of new educational year, President Hamid Karzai humbly asked the Taliban to cease to kill teachers and school children, and not close schools.

The Afghan government long ago called them as brothers that remain unhappy with other brothers. But the bitter fact is that more than four million children are deprived of education due to security problems created by the Taliban and more than four hundred schools are closed in insecure areas, where Taliban have some level of influence and presence.

Afghan people believe that the Taliban can join peace process provided that they discontinue sticking to their destructive ideology and remain connected with terrorist networks in the region and in the world. They caution Afghan government and international community against any hasty negotiation with the Taliban.

Violence exercised by the Taliban over the last ten years has included killings of school teachers and children. Afghans believe that it is time for the Taliban militants to come to terms with the fact that education is the only way for Afghanistan to overcome its economic and other problems. They expect Taliban and other insurgent groups that have not hesitated to pour acid on schoolgirls over the last years to denounce violence, break links with terrorists and recognize women’s rights in order to be reconciled and join normal life.

Despite the expected and usual relative lull in the winter, which should have evolved into full calm given the ongoing reported negotiations between the Taliban and their representatives from some major countries, Taliban militants continued to kill people during the last winter.

The fear is that Taliban may launch even a more intensified spring and summer offensive as a part of effort to make political score in the ongoing peace process. The Taliban militants have shown willingness to work out an understanding with international community about the situation down the road in Afghanistan. But they continue to carry out terrorist attacks. President Karzai’s humble request will not stop them from burning schools and killing teachers and students, as the experiences of last ten years attest.