Halimi was instructed to dismiss all male teachers at girls' schools and replace them with women, as the militants believed that men should not teach girls. The government complied with this demand in order to prevent the schools from being forcibly shut down. Despite this, Farah's schools were still not exempt from the directive. Last month, armed men on motorcycles set fire to two girls' schools near Farah city on two consecutive nights. The schools were severely damaged, with teaching materials destroyed, resulting in classes being canceled for around 1,700 girls. A nearby wall had graffiti saying "Long live the Islamic Emirate," which is the Taliban's name. According to police spokesman Muhibullah Muhib, four other girls' schools in the province have also been attacked recently. These incidents have not only caused fear among teachers, students, and families but have also raised concerns about a possible return to the oppressive Taliban rule as peace negotiations with the United States continue. Until 2001, when the Taliban government was removed from power, girls' education was prohibited and women were restricted to their homes. Today, over 3.6 million Afghan girls are attending school and 100,000 women are enrolled in universities. However, approximately 400 schools have closed recently due to security concerns such as armed conflict and threats or attacks from the Taliban. Despite Taliban leaders in Qatar expressing a commitment to women's rights under Islamic law, including education, the recent school bombings in Farah have raised doubts among Afghan women about the Taliban's true intentions regarding girls' education in the future. Sosan Aubi, a 38-year-old teacher at a school that was burned last month, expressed optimism about peace due to the Qatar talks, but the recent explosion has dashed her hopes. Nayab Khan, a grocer from the village whose sisters and daughters attended one of the burned schools, does not trust the Taliban's promises of change, citing their continued attacks on schools and girls' education. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied responsibility for the attacks and stated that the militants would investigate and punish those involved. Mujahid stated that if schools were to reopen, there would not be any threat from their side. However, residents noted that the schools were located in Taliban-controlled areas and government officials were unable to assess the damage. Dadullah Qani, a member of the Farah provincial council, expressed concern that the attacks showed the government was losing control of the province, with the security situation worsening each day. Provincial government officials and village elders have noted that there is no distinction between the government and ordinary people when it comes to preventing attacks, as both are unable to stop them. The recent attacks have revealed a division within the Taliban, with some civil authorities supporting girls' education while certain military commanders are opposed. The Taliban have established shadow governments in areas under their control, where they collect taxes and oversee daily operations. Some Taliban leaders are in favor of girls' education, while others are against it. Village elders have requested government assistance in rebuilding schools destroyed in the attacks, but were informed that the government is unable to help and were advised to reach out to local Taliban leaders instead. Halimi mentioned that a group of roughly 50 villagers was contemplating the idea of restarting classes in tents temporarily. According to local residents, Taliban education officials had reached out to provincial school leaders to discuss reopening, but requested time to negotiate with Taliban military commanders. Mohammad Azimi, the provincial education director, urged parents and students to assist in reopening the schools. The Sher Ali Khan school in Naw Deh village, located approximately 8 miles from Farah city, had its windows shattered, walls damaged, and burnt desks and school papers scattered inside. The school entrance featured a plaque with Afghan and American flags, along with a message indicating that the U.S. Agency for International Development assisted in constructing the school in 2005. The U.S. flag on the plaque had been partially scratched out. According to the agency's office in Kabul, they are not currently funding the school, but it may have been a previous project. The school principal, Abdul Rahman, reported that five masked men armed with weapons tied up the night watchman, poured fuel inside the school, and set it on fire on the night of April 15. They also detonated a small explosive device in the school office. School records, student supplies, and academic textbooks were set on fire by the attackers, but Islamic religious texts were left untouched, according to Rahman. Rahman expressed concern that the girls are now afraid and may not return to school even if it reopens. Abdul Hamid Haidari, a 45-year-old shopkeeper, shared that his three daughters were students at Sher Ali Khan school. He mentioned that his daughter Roya, 18, had plans to graduate this year and become a teacher, but those dreams were now uncertain due to the destruction of her school transcripts. Haidari added that Roya and her sisters were devastated when they heard about the attack. He expressed his determination to provide education for his children, both daughters and four sons, and had made sacrifices to send them to school despite the dangerous security situation. He had hoped that peace talks would improve the situation, but after the school was bombed, he is less optimistic. Qani, a provincial council member, mentioned a sense of fear and distrust following the school attacks. He noted that the attacks may have achieved their goal as many parents are now hesitant to send their daughters back to school. "Today they destroy school buildings," Qani stated. "Will they launch an assault on students tomorrow?" - c.2019 New York Times News Service.