The Taliban's Decision to Execute a 14 Year Old is Perplexing

I am going to put on the turban of a Taliban member for this post.  I am with my comrades and we are planning on how we are going to curtail the Western influences that have become pervasive in Pakistan.  We have already made our views on the role of women well known.  They are to be seen and not heard.  No driving in any circumstances.  Veiled from head to toe and respectful of the male species at all costs.  Last but not least, we will accept no back talk from anyone.  Least of all, a teenage girl.

The community is beginning to chatter about a fearless young girl who has the audacity to want to have an education and pursue a career.  This chatter can lead other people to think we are weak and want equal right for all women.  What are we to do!  As recorded in a Google search, this is our solution after tracking he for two weeks.  We find her school bus and armed to the teeth, we ask: "Which one of you is Malala? Speak up, otherwise I will shoot you all," a hooded, bearded Taliban militant asked a bus full of schoolgirls on their way home earlier this week. "She is propagating against the soldiers of Allah, the Taliban. She must be punished," the Taliban militant shouted louder. Then, recognizing her, he shot her at a point blank range.

We leave the girl lying next to her school bus.  Her friends are terrified.  We just shot a 14 years old girl and we are going to celebrate.  Our iron fisted rule will continue and no one will question our motives.  Quite the contrary according to recent news reports.  Many university educated women are protesting this outrageous action by the Taliban.  I shudder to think about the feelings of her parents and immediate family.  This young lady was targeted by the proposed leaders of a religion based movement to ensure a just society.  It stinks to high heavens to think that this would be the outcome.

I can imagine what it would be like to live in a Middle Eastern society. I just finished reading a novel called 'Portrait of a Spy'.  The novel outlined the life of a billionaire woman who wanted to avenge the death of her father in Saudi Arabia.  She had adopted some Western ways.  She drank wine and smoked an occasional cigarette.  She ran her father's business successfully though.  But when she came back t her country she had to don a veil and be accompanied by a male at all times.  Women here in the U.S. should be thankful, in spite of the glass ceiling, every day.

I don't know what kind of future Malala will have.   She will have to recover first from a horrific head wound.  Her classmates might shun her for taking a stand against an entrenched, violent organization.  The situation will probable not improve for women for many years.  She sounds like a person with firmly established principles which are rare for someone so young.  There is precedence for violence against women in Pakistan.  Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a bombing on 27 December 2007, after leaving PPP's last rally in the city of Rawalpindi, two weeks before the scheduled 2008 general election in which she was a leading opposition candidate.  She was the daughter of a former Prime Minister also.  It is a tough life for women and I wish Malala a speedy recovery and a brighter future.