The news from Pakistan is horrific:
The Taliban has killed dozens of children at a Peshawar school in a revenge mission for Pakistani schoolgirl activist Malala Yousafzai being awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize.
Ahmed Rashid, an expert on the Islamic militants, told the BBC the insurgents had various reasons to attack the school, one of which was to send a message to the supporters of Malala, who advocates
education for women and children.
In response to the events at the school in Pakistan, education campaigner Malala has condemned the "atrocious and cowardly" attack.
As reported by the Guardian, she said: "I am heartbroken by this senseless and cold-blooded act of terror in Peshawar that is unfolding before us.
"Innocent children in their school have no place in horror such as this.
"I condemn these atrocious and cowardly acts and stand united with the government and armed forces of Pakistan whose efforts so far to address this horrific event are commendable.
"I, along with millions of others around the world, mourn these children, my brothers and sisters - but we will never be defeated."
At least five militants entered the school, in north-west Pakistan, wearing security uniforms and massacred 126 people, mainly children, on Tuesday (16 December).
The Pakistani army officials said hundreds of students were evacuated but it is not yet clear how many are still in the building.
Rashid also believes the Taliban targeted the school to demoralise the military.
"Many of the soldiers and officers fighting the Taliban have their children in this school so this is an attempt to demoralise the military," he said.
The Taliban said the massacre was a "revenge" attack following an army offensive against Islamic extremists in North Waziristan and in nearby Khyber.
"We selected the army's school for the attack because the government is targeting our families and females," said Taliban spokesman Muhammad Umar Khorasani. "We want them to feel the pain."
This is an affront to civilized people across the globe and a rational reasonable response is necessary. The problem is that we don't have rational reasonable people in positions of influence who can do anything about it.
God help us deal with this evil.
