World

Bombs and beatings: Life among the Taliban

by stejeb | February 5, 2010 at 12:28 am

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This harrowing story of a young girl's life with a family headed by radical Islamic fundamentalists and her escape from their clutches puts the problems faced by so many young women growing up in places like this in terrifying detail.

We wonder at how radicals can bring themselves to bomb girls schools within their own land, killing their own people, of their own faith, then you look at how they are prepared to sacrifice their own daughters and sisters in this twisted cause, and the question is answered.

In Pakistan an account of life with the Taliban has emerged from a 13-year-old girl called Meena, who says her own family tried to turn her into a suicide bomber.

There is no independent confirmation of her account but police say they believe she is telling the truth, and her information could be valuable.

Meena told her story to our Pakistan correspondent Orla Guerin.

The girls account can't be independenly confirmed, but the police chief who interviewed her said that there was no reason to doubt her story, and that she was giving a good account which would help in the fight against terror.

My brother used to tell me that the place for a woman is either at home or in the grave. I was always restricted to home.

He said: "If you leave the house I'll cut off your head and put it on your chest."

My brother had been to the local school and beaten the girls and the teachers.

He said anyone who wanted to study was a friend of America.

I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted it so much that once I dreamt I was sitting in a hospital, working as a doctor. I wanted to help the poor, those who cannot afford medical fees.

Meena has now been moved to a place of safety where she can start her life afresh, but there are a lot more little girls out there who won't be lucky.