Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ,

Some of you should recognize the stylishly clad gentleman in the top left of the above photo. If you don’t, then let me remind you that he is none other than esteemed, famed, patriotic Mr. Ronald Reagan, a former President of the United States. In his company are members of the infamous ‘Taliban’ of Afghanistan during a meeting in the White House. It isn’t a secret that the United States armed and trained the Taliban militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In fact, this Reuters report indicates that the Taliban still had ‘stinger rockets’ that were funded and supplied by Reagan himself. Yet, even today according to this Guardian UK’s article, most Afghanis, including well known politicians and those of higher authority, they believe that the US continues to fund the Taliban:

One political scientist, who works as an advisor to US agencies in the north of the country, recounts how people fear the continuing influence of the warlords, illustrating his point with descriptions of violence and corruption that extends into the realms of banking, government and trade. Afghans hate these warlords, he says, but the US wants them kept in place. “If they were removed, and competent and clean people brought in, we would bring in revenues of our own. We could have our own economy, and demand foreign investment with transparency. We would have a true army, to protect us and serve Afghanistan.”

It’s also well known that American paid construction contracts, actually fund the Taliban. According to this Global Post US’ article, most contractors actually plan deals and negotiate contracts with the members of the rebel group. Sometimes even agreeing to let them blow up bridges, only to attain a new contract to rebuild, siphoning off more US funds to the Taliban. Former Afghani-Taliban envoy to the US, Yale educated – Sayyid Rahmatullah Hashimi has even spoken on US policies during a lecture at the University of Southern California, where he explained that the Taliban was not opposed to the education of girls:

According to him, the Afghani state had a majority Muslim population and thus segregated education was on their agenda. While they were busy building girl’s schools, UN interests removed much needed funding, inclusive of funds needed to develop and maintain agricultural lands. Thus, when it comes to the issue of Malala Yousafzai, many questions need to be asked. If the Taliban are supposed to be representing Islam or Prophet Muhammad [saws], then shouldn’t they teach women?

Narrated Abu Said: A woman came to Allah’s Apostle and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Men (only) benefit by your teachings, so please devote to us from (some of) your time, a day on which we may come to you so that you may teach us of what Allah has taught you.” Allah’s Apostle said, “Gather on such-and-such a day at such-and-such a place.” They gathered and Allah’s Apostle came to them and taught them of what Allah had taught him. – Sahih al Bukhari, Book #92, Hadith #413.

It should be noted that we can find in excess of 600 Ahadith from ‘Aisha [ra], the Prophet’s [saws] wife, where either she is teaching or explaining some element of Islam to men and women. Therefore, if we see that the Prophet [saws] and his wife taught women, then can anyone who believes that Islam commands that women are not to be taught or educated, demonstrate such a belief from the Qur’an or Hadith corpus? Let’s continue with just one or two further examples of women and education in Islam.

Khabbab (may Allaah be pleased with her), taught the Qur’an, both to Fatima – may Allaah be pleased with her (‘Umar bin Al Khattab’s sister), and her husband, Sa’id bin Zaid. – Ibn Ishaq’s, “As Siyar wa al Maghazi”, ed. by Zakkar, pp. 181 – 184.

The very first revealed verse of the Qur’an commands all Muslims, not just men, to read: “اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ” – “Read in the name of your Lord who created“.

If Malala Yousafzai’s killing is appropriate according to Islam law, Qur’an or Ahadith, would anyone be able to demonstrate this for me? Most certainly not. This leads us to another question, why the hypocrisy? Pakistan became outraged, holding national protests and requests for justice, where even a national Day of Prayer was observed for her benefit:

On Friday, school children dedicated prayers to her recovery in morning assemblies and she was also remembered during weekly prayers at mosques across the country. Many prayer leaders condemned the attack, including the chief cleric of Pakistan’s largest mosque, Shahi Masjid, in Lahore. He called the young activist an “ambassador of peace and knowledge'”. Schools in the Swat Valley closed on Wednesday – the day after the shooting – in protest at the attack. Rallies have also been held in Islamabad, Peshawar, Lahore, Multan as well as in Malala’s hometown of Mingora.

I mentioned hypocrisy above, because I find it so strange, that Missionaries, TV Pundits, Mainstream Media, are all condemning this act of a girl wanting to learn and being shot for it. Yet when American forces murdered 69 children by bombing a school, where was the outrage?

A week after the attack, a local English newspaper published the names and home villages of 80 victims. Sixty-nine were reported as children aged 17 or under. According to the paper’s sources,

It was claimed that ‘one of the deceased was only seven-year old, three were eight, three nine, one was 10, four were 11, four were 12, eight were 13, six were 14, nine were 15, 19 were 16, 12 were 17, three were 18, three were 19 and only two were 21-years old’. Yusufzai is adamant that the attack was the work of the CIA: “I am absolutely confident, 100 per cent, that this was carried out by US drones, based on witnesses at the time and the subsequent comments of [Pakistani] government officials.” The US Embassy in Islamabad declined to comment on the case when offered the opportunity by the Bureau and The Express Tribune.

Where were the protests? Why didn’t America hold a national day of prayer? Why should Muslims be the only ones guilty when children are attacked for seeking an education, but when the US strikes a school and murders 69 children, we hear nothing? Hypocrisy is rife among those who criticise Islam, who trade one girl’s life for 69 dead children.

wa Allaahu Alam,

and Allaah knows best.