(This column first appeared in The Economist on August 19, 2021)
- THE LAST time the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, they banned girls from going to school. This time they say they will allow them to be educated “within the limits of Islam”. No one knows what that means. Afghan women fear the worst. As the men with guns in Kabul ponder whether to allow their female compatriots to study, it is worth reflecting on why this matters so much…