Northern Afghanistan was once the safe area of the country, but since last year it has been a hotbed for various insurgent groups. The latest word is that 100 al Qaeda fighters have infiltrated Kunduz province. This is the same province where three different girls schools were attacked by a mysterious gas leaving more than a hundred girls in the hospital.
Toxicologists are investigating the illnesses. Dr. Homayun Khamoush, director of Kunduz Regional Hospital, believes a chemical gas was used but it’s not clear how it was released or who was responsible. His hospital treated 124 girls and teachers with symptoms of dizziness and nausea.
Many of the girls believe the attack was carried out to frighten them and keep them away from school. It worked at first, but now most of them are returning to class.
The girls we spoke to say that they are determined to get an education because they won’t let their enemies win.
“Just like they tried to poison us, I’m going to poison them but I’m not going to do it their way,” says Shafika Ghulamsakhi, 20, who was banned from school in her younger years but she is now in the 9th grade. “I’m going to shame them with my words, I want to banish them with my education.”
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