Taliban and Crimes Against Humanity in Pakistan

It has been reported throughout various media outlets that on Tuesday, December 16th, 2014, members of the Taliban attacked a children’s school in Peshawar, Pakistan, resulting in the death of 145 individuals. And, according to reports, of those killed, 132 were children. The school that was targeted was “The Army Public School and Degree College[,] [which] is home to about 1,100 students and staff, most of them sons and daughters of army personnel from around Peshawar. The public school admits children whose parents are in the military, but its classes are not restricted to future soldiers” (CNN, 2014). According to a CNN report, the school was targeted because they believed the school was preparing children to be like their family members that were serving in the military.

According to the CNN report, “The nightmare began in late morning, when a car exploded behind the school. Pakistani authorities said the blast was a ruse to divert security guards’ attention. Gunmen got over the walls and walked through where students in grades eight, nine and 10 have classes. The militants came in with enough ammunition and other supplies to last for days and were not expecting to come out alive, a Pakistani military official said.”

The reports of what happened are heartbreaking, as outlets tell of children hiding in fear from the attackers, and the attackers looking and calling out where the children are hiding (CNN, 2014).

This crime against humanity goes beyond any words. What the Taliban did is horrific and tragic. The children had nothing to do with politics, and to target innocent civilians is clearly against any forms of international law. They have went after those who were studying and learning in a school. Sadly, in international relations, we often study the political and economic conditions related to how actors interact, but what sometimes gets lost in the analysis is the heartbreak that families feel for their losses.

And while it is important to analyze the events in a scholarly fashion, it is critical to keep in mind that human beings are suffering from these conflicts, and from these crimes, and to always remember that the study of international relations, and the issues that we examine, affect human beings, families, and communities.