環(huán)球英語 — 303：Gul Makai: The Power of Girls’ Educa

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Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Ryan Geertsma.

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And I'm Ruby Jones. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 1

The Swat Valley is an area in Northwest Pakistan. It is well known for its beautiful mountains, green fields and clear blue lakes. For years, people have travelled there to enjoy its peacefulness and beauty. However, today, the Swat Valley is a place of conflict and oppression.

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In late 2008, the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley. The Taliban formerly governed the country of Afghanistan. The group is known for their extreme form of Islamic law. And many people do not like the Taliban's treatment of women.

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The Taliban does not believe girls or women should be educated. Over the past two years, the Taliban has bombed or burned more than 170 schools in the Swat Valley. Most of these were girl's schools.

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The government of Pakistan does not support the Taliban's attitude towards girls' education. Many Pakistani officials and leaders in the Swat Valley are speaking against the acts of the Taliban. However, it is the words of one seventh grade girl, called Gul Makai, that have affected many people. This brave Muslim girl wrote about her daily experiences in the Swat Valley on the internet. Today's Spotlight will be on these writings of Gul Makai and girls' education.

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In 2001, NATO forces invaded Afghanistan. Together, NATO and anti-Taliban Afghan forces fought to remove the Taliban from power. Since that time, the control of the Taliban in Afghanistan has greatly weakened. However, they still remain. And, their power in Northern Pakistan has grown in the last year.

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In December, 2008, the Taliban officially took control of the Swat Valley. After taking power, they declared a ban on girls' education. A Taliban leader named Mullah Shah Doran announced the ban on the local radio. He said,

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"After January 15, we will not let girls attend school."

Voice 1

Mullah Doran also said that educating girls was not Islamic. This Taliban belief has caused much damage in the Swat Valley. Even before the Taliban officially took control, their presence caused many girls to stop attending school. In fact, the number of girls attending school has dropped from 120,000 to 40,000 in just two years. Some girls do not attend because they do not feel safe. Other girls simply do not have schools to attend.

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Gul Makai wrote about going to school after the Taliban announced the future ban. She shared her fears on the BBC website.

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"I had a terrible dream yesterday with military helicopters and the Taliban. I have had such dreams since the launch of the military attack in Swat...I was afraid as I went to school because the Taliban had announced that they were going to ban all girls from attending schools."

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She also wrote about how just the announcement of the future ban affected the school.

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"Only 11 students attended the class, out of 27 students. The number decreased because of the Taliban's announcement. My three friends have moved away with their families after the announcement."

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School leaders knew that it was dangerous for the girls to attend school. However, they knew the importance of education and equal rights too. So, they tried to find ways to help the girls stay safe. After the Taliban announced the ban, the school leaders told the girls not to wear their school clothes to school. Gul wrote,

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"I was getting ready for school and I was about to wear my school clothes. Then I remembered that the school leader had told us not to wear them. Instead, they told us to come to school wearing normal clothes. So, I decided to wear my favorite pink colored dress."

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Gul thought she was protecting herself. However, when she arrived at school, she learned differently. The teachers gathered the children together for an assembly. They wanted to advise the students again. Gul wrote,

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"During the morning assembly, we were told not to wear colorful clothes because the Taliban would object to it."

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So, the girls that continued to attend school wore normal, simple colored clothing. They did everything they could so that the Taliban would not notice them. However, even being careful did not keep these girls from being afraid. Gul shared about a day when she experienced a fearful walk home from school.

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"On my way home from school, I heard a man saying ‘I will kill you.' I began walking faster. After a while, I looked back to see if the man was still coming behind me. Thankfully, he was talking on his mobile phone and must have been threatening someone else over the phone."

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Fear, however, is not the only emotion that Gul wrote about. She also wrote about how the school closing made her sad.

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"I was feeling bad while going to school because winter break starts tomorrow. The school leader announced the break, but did not tell us what date the school was to re-open. This was the first time this has happened. In the past, the re-opening date was always announced clearly. The school leader did not tell us the reason behind not announcing the school re-opening. But, I believe it is because of the Taliban's announcement to ban girls' education starting January 15. This time, the girls were not too excited about winter break because they knew if the Taliban's ban worked, they would not be able to come to school again."

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Many people fear that the girls' schools in the Swat Valley will remain closed for a long time. The government of Pakistan hopes to re-open the schools in March. However, re-opening the schools will take much work. First the government must establish peace and safety for the girls. Secondly, it will need to re-build almost 200 damaged schools.

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The situation for young girls in the Swat Valley does not look hopeful today. However, that does not mean the girls do not have hope. In fact, Gul wrote about her hope on the last day of school before the ban began. She wrote,

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"I believe that the school will one day re-open, but while leaving I looked at the building as if I would not come here again."

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The words of Gul Makai show how difficult life can be for girls facing unequal treatment and oppression. She lives in an area of conflict, fear and sadness. However, her words also show the power of her education. Because Gul has enjoyed the right to education, she is able to share with the world about the struggles she now faces. Her education has given her a voice, but even more importantly, it has given her hope.