I wonder if this has more to do with the mosque controversy than "xenophobia and misconceptions" do?
"In a city consumed by a bitter struggle as the Taliban (an extreme political movement with close links to al-Qaeda) tries to regain power after being ousted in 2001 by British and American troops, women are still considered by some to be second-class citizens.
While officially girls can go to school, the people who still support the Taliban's strict, extremist take on Islamic laws are making it more and more dangerous.
Since 2004, Taliban rebels have been trying to reintroduce their long-standing beliefs - including the rule that woman aren't equal to men - in an attempt to turn Afghanistan into what they consider to be the world's purest Islamic country. Imagine no dancing, no TV and no make-up. A world where women must wear the burqa in public and are forbidden from working or getting an education.
...Their father, Omar, is determined his daughters will not be denied an education. By keeping his girls at home, he's ensuring they can continue their lessons. "I couldn't let my daughters go to school because I was so scared somebody would kill them," he says.
Omar's fears aren't without terrifying grounds. In April, more than 80 young Afghan women were affected by mass sickness, following reports of gas attacks in their classrooms. And last year, 15 girls were left scarred and blinded after they were sprayed with battery acid by two men on a motorbike as they walked to school in Khandahar. Eight men were arrested and two confessed.
While the Taliban officially denied involvement, members of the group were rumoured to have moved into the outskirts of the city just before the attack. Posters had also appeared in local mosques. "Don't let your daughters go to school," one said."
News of the World
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