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Pakistani school girls take part in full-dress rehearsal for the opening ceremony of 31st National Games at Qayyum stadium in Peshawar, Pakistan on Friday, Dec. 24, 2010. – AP Photo
PESHAWAR: Though shaken by the killing of a local female student by her fiancé over refusal to abandon education, schoolgirls in the provincial capital are committed to continue their studies.
Mostly from middle and lower middle class, parents of these government school students have no formal education.
Mehnaz, a 10th grader, was killed on Wednesday when she was on her way to school in Pishtakhara neighbourhood.
Sheeba, who is in ninth grade, told Dawn that the news of the schoolgirl’s killing had dazed her as she couldn’t comprehend the opposition to the girls’ education.
“I don’t know why people oppose education of girls at schools. It not only helps girls lead a better life but also turns out to be a means of monetary support for their families in difficult times,” she said.
Irum, another student, said education could change a girl’s life for better as an educated girl could better manage family affairs after marriage and bring up her children in a better way compared with uneducated girls.
She said she had been in a state of shock since the hearing of the schoolgirl’s killing by her fiancé over refusal to abandon education.
A female nine-grader of a government school said she saluted the dead student for defying bullying to continue with her studies. She said the brutal killing showed the extremist mindset of a segment of society.
Kosar, another schoolgirl, favoured female, saying it lets girls know their rights. She, however, regretted that the girls' views were not respected and often rebuffed by male members of their families, who were mostly illiterate. She said an educated girl could help her younger siblings lead a better life especially when her parents had no formal education.
Nabeela, a teenaged girl, said Islam allowed girls to get education but most of the families didn’t follow Islamic teachings and denied their female members right to education.
She said many girls in the city went to school wearing veil but even then if anyone opposed it, that was appalling. According to the available statistics, around 800 girls schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been destroyed by militants opposed to female education since 2007.
Ironically, the perpetrators of these acts of sabotage went scot-free.
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (34) Closed
Oct 24, 2011 04:00pm
Jinnah the founder of Pakistan, would have never imagined that this could happen. In other parts of the world women have achieved
highest status then men, with high education. The government of Pakistan has to take strong measures if it really cares for it.
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Oct 24, 2011 05:16pm
I wish this had not happened. Prayers for the poor soul. The culprit should be caught punished and made example to all the other jealous men.
Wiht educating women, we not only edcuate a person or individual but we educated a whole coming generation. For success on national level we need to correctly edcuate our women, that shall groom the upcoming generation in a correct manner in return.
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Oct 24, 2011 05:30pm
The fact is that these people have never been taught the real teaching of Islam. These people just know that women are animals and deserve to be living under strict so called rules tied with a rope around the neck with a post. Even courts fear to punish these people and i'm sure he will be freed after a few days and will be regarded as hero in his clan. The Ulemas and clerics need to leave politics and preach them to behave women first.
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Oct 24, 2011 05:44pm
Female education frees female from economic bondage to abusive husbands.
Why did the "perpetrator go scot-free"? Shouldn't the services of the local police be terminated and their replacements told to do their job and bring the killer to justice?
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Oct 24, 2011 05:57pm
How old are girls in the tenth class?This problem is not only in Pakistan but also in most third world countries like India.When you produce children you must be responsible for them.They to are humans and their views must be taken into consideration.If you cannot interact with your children you should not produce them.An innocent life with dreams of the future snuffed.I doubt the parents of the girl will be charged.AS for the killer:who knows.
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Oct 24, 2011 06:35pm
Men in this society and much of the larger Islamic world are taught to believe that women are born to be their subservient in life. They have probably observed since birth the dominance of the men in their family over the women in all aspects of life. I can see how a man would feel emasculated if the women in his life are smarter, more educated, or are economically emancipated from them. As long as definitions of masculinity are tied to dominance and power then women will never get their fair chance to an education and a truly free and happy life.
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Oct 24, 2011 07:20pm
Minimum benefit from female education, as understood by commoner, is that at least some of them can join medical profession and see female patients in gynecology, chest, heart, skin, ortho, eye, dental, physiotherapy, X-ray operator, Injection, collecting blood samples, nursing etc. They are also needed in security forces to frisk females. Since you will not know who can become what in future, all females must complete school education for this purpose.
The maximum benefit as understood by the knowledgeable, is that workforce in country doubles, where female do lighter jobs and males do more strenuous jobs, causing much higher rate of GDP growth. This needs highest possible education of females. We may wonder, will all find employment? As a proof, think in a reverse way; remove all females from jobs in any developed country and see where GDP goes.
The largest and proven intangible benefit is that majority children of educated mothers perform much better in life as compared with children of uneducated mothers. Thanks.
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Oct 24, 2011 09:17pm
@Jan e Alam - I am sick of hearing this argument - The fact is that these people have never been taught the real teaching of Islam. Pakistan has spent more than 60 years just doing that and we still have these events. Can you not think outside of Islam? Or is that you have been trained to only think within the boundaries of Islam. To kill a living being is inhumane, why would I need the help of religion to justify that. Please stop bringing religion into everything.
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Oct 24, 2011 11:07pm
Dear Miss ,thinking about Jinnah will not turn these people around, and if you read the history of these areas, People living there have been doing this to their women from the beginning. Jinnah was satisfied that he was creating a heaven and angels would be living there so he didn't bother much about them.these are stereotype people and only miracle can change them. and in fact to tell the truth Jinnah is not responsible for every thing whats happening in Pakistan now, he knew he wont live much, he had no much concern about the way of living of people in what he was going to name PAKISTAN.
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Oct 24, 2011 11:08pm
Amazingly the article talks nothing about the punishment of the killer? Is he in jail yet? if not, why not?
This should be a golden opportunity to make an example out of him.
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Oct 24, 2011 11:16pm
there is dire need to educate the puktoon male 1st because they are still living and following their tribal culture , we need to abolish this culture from their blood veins... they prefer to bound their girls in home rather to send them schools.. and 2nd factor mostly people in rural areas of Pakistan consider illegitimacy to send their girls in schools because for them the external exposure of girls to external environment might be shameful act for their families...i think govt should increased the education budget and must adopt some new policies in education sector.. e.g to make education free till 18 years .....govt should make education more cheaper so that every individual must go through education process.. remember education is the only key to beat the terrorism with weapon increased your literacy create awareness in young generation.. i think then there will be no killings, no brutal murder, there will social parity , their will be social justices.. and honor for common pedestrian community.thank u musadiq manzoor
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Oct 24, 2011 11:45pm
This is the nation that had elected a female PM, twice, this is the nation who's political party beleive it or not Jamiat e Islami nominated a woman to run for presidency, this is the nation who appointed thier first woman foriegn minister, what is wrong with this nation, unfortunately we are using Islam as our escape goat for crimes of this magnitude, the question is ARE WE REALLY MUSLIMS?
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Oct 25, 2011 04:08am
& we continue to declare that this is a "moderate" society. it's a joke when it comes to being practical about it, especially the rights of women. women in pakistan have no rights (in my point of view)and that will not change anytime soon. Benazir was selected because she was daughter of Bhutto, otherwise have you seen anyone else getting picked for top position? Pity for the nation that has "islamic republic" in name but on the grounds, it's an opposite story. what have we become? I wonder.
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Oct 25, 2011 06:38am
Why would you charge her parents. They were sending her to school.
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Oct 25, 2011 06:38am
Excuse me, is there anything you can discuss without bringing India in to the picture?..I think Indian society has much more freedom to girls and education levels are high even though not western levels. but we know our problems such as dropping out due to ECONOMIC REASONS and getting there to fix it. Right to Education Act is one such example..so instead of brushing aside as a typical third world problem and India pointing, your society needs some serious introspections
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Oct 25, 2011 07:36am
There are many more Mehnazs, whose parents still believe that women should work instead of pursuing education. They think that books will pollute their minds and they will become worthless wives and mothers. Unfortunately, this is a cultural thing-still being followed in some parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Mohammad Ismail
Seattle, Washington
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Oct 25, 2011 10:20am
it is the action of an individual, neither islam nor law permits these type of actions. Islam focuses to get education, even to go to China, what does it mean?
Kindly never blam the Islam.
pakhtun society is under development, and it is not far, that every one will see that.
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Oct 25, 2011 11:01am
sad day for children of great past
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Oct 25, 2011 11:14am
Why do men fear an educated woman. These girls are engaged far too young, I know of a 23 year old Pakistani male recently engaged to a 14 year old female child, and children is what they are I am afraid.
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Oct 25, 2011 11:16am
Although despicable and condemnable, but such incidents are isolated events in Pakistan, which either occur rarely or are reported rarely even if they happen. A majority of girls, including rural ones, do study and face no problem, with the exception that while most are allowed to study up to high school level, few are granted persmission to seek university level education. But then, issues of under-development does come in, such as cultural limitations, poverty, lack of resources, distance to a learning institute etc. which bars many. In this instant case, the killer ought to be given an exemplary punishment and a broad condemnation by the entire society of the killer's action.
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Oct 25, 2011 12:10pm
It speaks of lack of education at all levels including boys and men. As a nation, we should invest more on "Education for All". Without education, there is no bright future for anyone; we live in a very competeitive world. There is an old saying- you educate a man, you educate a person; you educate a woman, you educate a family.
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Oct 25, 2011 12:56pm
So sad ? Why did he kill her ? He could have broken off the engagement instead...
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Oct 25, 2011 01:56pm
the parents should be charged definitely for their ignorance.
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Oct 25, 2011 02:15pm
The question arises as to why the parents engaged her to that illiterate man. I don't know about the social customs in Pakistan but here in India it is illegal to marry off children below 18 years of age. Hope the Perpetrator of this heinous crime is soon brought to justice. RIP Mehnaz
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Oct 25, 2011 02:16pm
First of all my heartfelt condolences for the parents of the girl who faced this unfortunate end. There is just no excuse for murder and the killer should be simply hanged. Period.
But please do not blow this incident out of proportion. Pakistan is a country of 195 Million people (by latest census). Such isolated incidents, like in any other country of the world are bound to occur here too. The killer was a maniac and he deserves to be punished. If someone will tell me that there are no such killers in the rest of the world, he or she is simply lying.
As for Pakistan, we can boast of having ladies reaching the coveted positions of Prime Minister, Speaker of Assembly, Foreign Minister, Governor State Bank, Government Spokesperson, Head of Ministries, NGOs and various other outfits. Our women are fighter pilots, army officers, sailors, bankers, entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, farmers, human rights activists, celebrities and what not. Above all they have rights only if they pursue. Yes on the whole men may dominate the society especially in rural areas but the State gives equal opportunities to women where possible. Do you all know that its the girls who mostly take top honors in Acedemic results.
My fellow compatriots, there is always room for improvement and we should strive for that, but please rather than bad mouthing your own country in the world and projecting all the negatives try to project the positives of our country too. Pakistan is much more than a few such incidents. Its much better than many other countries of the world and lets be proud of what we have while we strive to get even better.
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Oct 25, 2011 03:36pm
This is just sad, if he had problem with her education he should have just refused to go marry and find someone else, what did he gain by killing her? True example of ignorance......
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Oct 25, 2011 07:28pm
As per Islam, it is obligatory for men and women to seek knowledge (education), what point these orthodox bring to support their idea of abandoning education for other half (the better half)
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Oct 25, 2011 09:54pm
No one has not right to kill any one whether it is in the name of woman education, or in the name of religion. Ones life is above than anything.
Yes! Pakistan is much more than a few such incidents. These are just few, list is going on. Only few are visible various invisible. And I think the PM woman was last woman PM of our country. The situation is getting worse. And your most of the mentioned examples emerged in PPP govt. which is facing extreme opposition from extremists like minded people.
We can not close our eyes from realities.
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Oct 25, 2011 10:09pm
Afghan man, son & second wife in Canada killed their daughters and first wife. Reason? They were living like other Canadians and not like Afghans in Afghanistan.
Oddly I believe that people have a right to maintain their customs, but if their customs like "honour" killings are illegal
in countries like Canada, they should go back "home" where these customs are acceptable.
It is rather stupid to emigrate to a western country when one's fundamental family practices are illegal. Stupid? because 3 lives were taken and the perpetrators will go to jail for life.
What a waste for this family and now hardworking Canadians have to pay a lot of money for jailing these people. Madness. This not the first time this has happened. Also the fault of naive Canadian immigration officials in South Asia.
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Oct 26, 2011 04:44am
Death before Dishonor.
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Oct 26, 2011 09:13am
First off; murder is a crime & forbidden by Allah & Rasulullah .... no two ways about it. Heartfelt condolences to the family. Secondly, don't repeat the centuries old arguments of Islam & Education & Women. I'm tired of it! Knowledge which makes a person a decent human being, both, divinely & humanly is always encouraged. On the contrary, anything which is against the spirit of divine and/or humanity is discouraged. I hope & pray we, the Islamic Republic, produce the best muslim educated people of the world. And, also, there are guidance in our beautifully glorious noble deen for men & women... I hope we have it in our heart to follow. And, just secular education will not cut it & get us where we want to go because the rules & laws of Allah are a bit different for us muslims. Just read the history, we were on the top of the world before in almost any aspect or subject but when we were rightly balanced. Deen & dunya go together as long as we willfully adopt the servitude of Allah & Rasulullah. It may be against our desires... it may not be discernible to our five senses but success is hidden in the servitude of Allah. Again, deen + dunya = Success for a muslim.... you can not separate out the two ingredients.
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Oct 26, 2011 12:12pm
its sad that women are pulled into marriage before they get a proper education.the biggest challenge we face in india and pakistan is lack of education to the lower class in the society.and mad dogs like that guy should be shot dead.
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Oct 26, 2011 12:41pm
" Woman gave birth to man and man gave them ignorance." pepetrtaors should be sentenced publicaly so that othr dark minded can learn lesson.
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Oct 30, 2011 06:53pm
So its not the misinterpretation of religions that a group failed to understand accurately, and are killing people only for their habits they developed at homes.Then why the religion of Islam is being targeted, for these people for their nature and habit of killing innocent people.In that case only their teachers and parents should be blamed for their "inhuman "acts ,and not for the SIN.
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