Is it surprising that the Taliban has clawed its way back into “every town and village” (The Sunday Times 27/08/2017)?
The problem with the Taliban is that it is insidious and creeps into the mind of men. It makes them think that joy and laughter should be prohibited outside of the house and sometimes within it as well. This shutters young lives and shatters others.
The Taliban represents an ideology and it is that which is difficult to eradicate. But education for both girls and boys is a way out of serfdom, the sum of women’s lives once the Taliban assert themselves.
It is therefore ironic that a largely male force will be sent into Afghanistan to help free the lives of women.
It is also true that British soldiers, certainly, are known for helping civilians. There also needs to be ideological help given from allied sources in the Middle East, who may best be able to communicate. It is right to want a different life and it is also right to want help to do it.
Can we help them to technology? If a tribesman in South Africa can set up a bank account on a mobile, then Afghans could do the same in their marketplaces. It gives individuals freedom and with that better lives for themselves and their children. Simple solutions often work.
Lucyloupoliblog 