Lest we forget about the enemy out there and his capacity for human life and compassion read — and save — this:
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Taliban militants beheaded a teacher in a central Afghan town while his wife and eight children watched, officials said Wednesday, describing the latest in a string of attacks targeting educators at schools where girls study.
Four men stabbed Malim Abdul Habib eight times late Tuesday before decapitating him in the courtyard of his home in Qalat, said Ali Khail, a spokesman for the provincial government of Zabul, where the attack took place.
The assailants made Habib’s wife, four sons and four daughters watch, Khail said. His children were between the ages of 2 and 22. No other family members were hurt.
The insurgents killed Habib, 45, after he refused to go with them to meet their commander, said the victim’s cousin, Esanullah, who goes by only one name.
The attackers fled and Habib’s wife called the police, Khail said. Police are questioning three people who were guests in the victim’s home at the time.
Habib was the headmaster of Shaikh Mathi Baba high school, which is attended by 1,300 boys and girls.
So there you have it. It takes a whole different concept of human life to not just behead someone because they DARE educate girls, but make their family — and little kids — watch. Is there any doubt that they would kill you, me, your kids, your infant, your wife, your partner, your pet or anything connected to you if they felt they could make a political point — which they do by increasing the body count in big and small ways?
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.