Afghan Whispers · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Taliban & Schools: Afghan women and girls were routinely victimized under the Taliban, who even denied them the right to go to school. President Karzai's government has given girls the opportunity to go back to schools but the Taliban is still trying to stop half the Afghan population from learning to read and write. According to Afghanistan Warrior who reported on the 22nd of December,
The enemies of peace and stability killed a teacher in front of the school students in southern Helmand province last Thursady by the Taliban insurgents after he ignored their orders to stop teaching girls. In my opinion the Taliban realized that they can not stop female education by burning the girls school so now they are cowardly killing the innocent teachers so no teacher teachs in the girls school. But our brave teachers will continue their teaching despite the enemy's threats.
Media Under Pressure: In recent years, several newspapers and magazines with different point of views have come into existence. Unfortunately, recently some editors and journalists have been persecuted. Afghan Press Blog reports the release of one of these journalists.
“an Afghan appeal court on Wednesday reduced to six months a two-year sentence handed to a women's magazine editor convicted of blasphemy in a trial that prompted an outcry from international media groups. Ali Mohaqiq Nasab, editor of the Haqoq-e-Zan (Women's Rights) monthly, was jailed in October and convicted and sentenced weeks later, with conservative Islamic clerics demanding the death penalty”.
Afghan Nation & Parliament: Goftego (link in Persian), written by a member of the Hazara ethnic group, says that Yunus Qanuni, one of Karzai's strongest challengers in the presidential election, an ethnic Tajik who recently became leader of Parliament, was one of those responsible for the mass murder in Kabul of Hazaras.
Farzande ahan, (son of Iron), another Hazara blogger talks about Mohaghegh, a Hazara leader who backed President Karzai's candidate (link in Persian). By doing this, he wanted to protect Hazara's rights and positions, even though this candidate failed to become the head of the Afghan Parliament.