Taliban Leader Says He Respects Other Religions

In an apparent effort to overhaul the Taliban's image worldwide, leader Mullah Mohammed Omar has publicly declared he wants good relations with the world, supports "modern" education and will respect other ethnic and religious communities in Afghanistan. The Taliban leader has never before expressed support for modern education, but in his statement he said it was "a fundamental need of every society in the present time." An anonymous Taliban source said girls would only be allowed to go to school if the Taliban returned to power, but they would be educated in separate schools. Omar also stressed to his followers that they should not take part in the proposed election in Afghanistan next year after the withdrawal of most foreign forces.

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