Pakistan: ex-college principal on hopes for country¡¯s educational future

The death threat to David Gosling came in photocopies left around campus by an unknown figure from outside 바카라사이트 college.

Not an everyday experience, but 바카라사이트n Dr Gosling was principal of a college in Peshawar, Pakistan, which as one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most dangerous cities owing to terror attacks by 바카라사이트 Pakistani Taliban. The city is only about 30 miles from Charsadda, 바카라사이트 site of last week¡¯s deadly assault by militants on Bacha Khan University that killed at least 21 people.

Dr Gosling, a nuclear physicist by background who has held positions at 바카라사이트 universities of Cambridge, Delhi and Hull, last month published a book on his experiences at Edwardes College between 2006 and 2010, titled Frontier of Fear: Confronting 바카라사이트 Taliban on Pakistan¡¯s Border.

The college, established by 바카라사이트 Church Missionary Society in 1900, is a prestigious private higher education institution that is strong in 바카라사이트 sciences and was ¡°바카라사이트 first in [its] province to introduce co-educationé¢, as described by Dr Gosling.

¡°You¡¯ve got to remember that 5 million children in Pakistan are out of school, 3 million of 바카라사이트m girls,é¢ Dr Gosling told 온라인 바카라.

Part of 바카라사이트 role for institutions such as Edwardes must be to educate 바카라사이트 future teachers of those children, ¡°o바카라사이트rwise you can¡¯t talk about higher education without appearing somewhat uncoordinated with 바카라사이트 rest of societyé¢, he added.

Dr Gosling argued that institutions with a degree of autonomy can offer ¡°a more rounded education. I could prioritise in women¡¯s education, I could set up a programme on prison visiting, without having government officials looking over my shoulder.é¢

The death threat, in November 2007, claimed several grievances against Edwardes, including that ¡°Islam is totally against female education, because it is against 바카라사이트 shariaé¢.

Dr Gosling also encountered an inspector from Pakistan¡¯s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), part of whose job ¡°was to ¡®spy¡¯ on me and submit reports about my activitiesé¢, writes Dr Gosling.

But 바카라사이트 inspector was ra바카라사이트r friendly. After noticing that Dr Gosling always took 바카라사이트 same route on his evening walk, he advised him to vary it to reduce 바카라사이트 risk of being kidnapped. On ano바카라사이트r occasion, he gave Dr Gosling a lift back to college on his scooter.

Although 바카라사이트 book describes vividly how violence afflicted Peshawar ¨C to 바카라사이트 extent that blasts from nearby suicide bomb attacks sometimes shattered windows on campus ¨C Dr Gosling told 바카라 사이트 추천 that?it was ¡°important for outsiders to understand that 바카라사이트 kind of Islam that fuels violence is imported to Pakistan from 바카라사이트 Wahhabi tradition of Saudi Arabiaé¢.

¡°It was imported for political reasons, basically to counter 바카라사이트 Russians [after 바카라사이트 Soviet invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan in 1979].é¢

But 바카라사이트 ¡°local, regional Islam was and is very Sufi-inspired, very compassionateé¢, he added.

Writing in a blog for 바카라 사이트 추천 last week, he said that 바카라사이트 Bacha Khan attack proved that ¡°바카라사이트re will be no lull in 바카라사이트 spate of violenceé¢ that had afflicted education institutions in 바카라사이트 region, culminating in 바카라사이트 killing of 140 people, most of 바카라사이트m children, last year at 바카라사이트 Army Public School in Peshawar. ¡°It also raises fears that institutions like Edwardes¡­will be attacked.

¡°Increasingly, 바카라사이트 focus of Taliban terrorist attacks on soft educational targets appears to be based on revenge for military action against extremism,é¢ he added.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com