Daniel Peterson wrote:Prejudice against women in rural areas doesn't mean that absolutely no women receive any education at all in those areas. And the fact that the central government in Kabul believes in the education of women doesn't mean that all women in Kabul receive educations. I don't believe in such a black-and-white absurdity, and asserted no such thing. Besides which, I've been around the Third World enough to know what government schools tend to be like even in the capital city.
You said in rural areas, which is what most of the country is comprised of, it's the backward men who keep their women and girls from being educated. Now what religion rules Afghanistan, and is especially entrenched in rural Afghanistan? Oh yes. Islam. What drives how people interact with each other in rural Afghanistan? Oh yes. Very traditional Islam. What most influences the men in power in rural Afghanistan? Oh yes. Very patriarchal Islam.
I see it as no stretch to put Islam at the base of the problem of 87% of Afghan women being illiterate and 70% of Afghan girls never attending school, since Islam is what drives Afghan men. While remoteness may contribute to the issue, and poverty is definitely in the mix, to deny that Islam, a conservative, traditional, patriarchal Islam, but no one would confuse it with any other religion, is at the base is simply willful blindness.
If the leaders, all Islamic and faithful, were truly living their religion (if you are to be believed), we'd see women's literacy rates at least the equivalent of men's, across the country. But we don't. We'd see schools of girls sprouting up across the country, instead of being burned down. We'd see all young girls being encouraged to gain an education. But we don't. We'd see 90% of young girls attending school, instead of a miserable 30%. We'd see 87% of women as literate, not 87% as illiterate.
Your friend, the Minister of Education, is doing a piss poor job, Daniel. And he's a Muslim.
Perhaps it would be most correct to say that traditional conservative patriarchal Islam, which holds power in certain sections of the globe, including most of Afghanistan, does not allow education for women and girls. That way, your more progressive friends can be held blameless for the appalling literacy rates in much of Afghanistan, the burned schools become not their problem, the girls killed for attending school become not their problem. And you don't have to acknowledge the plight of Afghan women either. A win-win for you and your Islamic friends! Of course, 87% of Afghan women are still illiterate, but your Islamic friends can wash their hands of the situation and never worry about blaming their conservative, traditional, patriarchal religious counterparts.
Stay away, far away, from a career in social justice, Daniel. You're much better suited for academia or politics.
Incidentally, in your earlier post you said that 23% of Afghan women are literate. Please decide which it is.
My source says 87% of Afghan women are illiterate. You do the math.
harmony wrote:Did I mention that I wasn't born yesterday?
Yes, as a matter of fact. If I'm not mistaken, you've indicated that you're really, really
old.
Yeah, I'm your age.
(Nevo, Jan 23) And the Melchizedek Priesthood may not have been restored until the summer of 1830, several months after the organization of the Church.