Free Republic

Charlotte Bellis, a broadcast journalist, said she has repeatedly tried to return to New Zealand since she learned she was pregnant in September. She has submitted 59 documents to New Zealand officials in Afghanistan in an attempt to secure an emergency return home, but her bid was turned down and led her to turn to the Taliban, one of the world's most oppressive regimes, for sympathy. It's a particularly cruel twist of fate for the woman who was revered worldwide for her fearless questioning of the jihadist group's previous record on women's rights. To add insult to injury, Ms Bellis...

In Afghanistan, the Taliban's "war on schooling for girls" has been running into resistance from many tribes. There are a number of reasons why these otherwise religiously conservative, tradition-bound tribesmen have decided to resist the Taliban's efforts to curb education for girls. Although in many traditional societies (not just Islamic ones, either) women have second-class status, behind the scenes the story can be quite different. In Islam (as in Latin America, China, India, etc.), women are often important managers of family businesses and property. They are also frequently valued behind-the-scenes advisors to husbands and sons who are the tribal leaders....