UN envoy deplores attacks against schools in Afghanistan

Marking the start of the Afghan school year, the senior United Nations envoy for the country has deplored the attacks against schools in parts of the country and called on Afghans to unite against vandalism.

Speaking at a ceremony held over the weekend to launch the beginning of the 1382 Afghan school year, the Special Representative of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Lakhdar Brahimi, said the attacks against mostly girls' schools were "unacceptable." President Hamid Karzai and other senior Afghan officials also attended the ceremony held at Amani High School.

"Neither the religion of Afghanistan, nor the culture, nor any tradition and certainly not the tradition of jihad, allow something like this to happen," Mr. Brahimi said of the attacks carried out last year. He also said those who engaged in the vandalism were enemies of the people, religion and culture of Afghanistan.

Mr. Brahimi called on Afghans "to unite against these destructive elements" who do not serving any principles recognized by the people of Afghanistan. He added that the UN was doing its best to help the girls and boys in Afghanistan to have access to education and expressed the hope that more would be done by all involved.