Went to a local school to talk about some future work. The coordinator, who is white and recently arrived here from the USA, filled me in on the nature of the school. I know the school quite well as it is local and a friend went there. The school has a 99% Bengali constituency and C's description fulfilled the list of stereotypes around Bengali Muslims including, he had to add, that some of the parents of the pupils support the Taliban.
I didn't ask him whether he had heard that 'from the horse's mouth' or whether it was hearsay - or even if heard it from the girls. I very much doubt he has actually spoken to an alledged supporter or discussed any of the subtleties around a sympathetic position. What I do know is that my friend remembers that some girls used to pretend their fathers were very strict in order to get out of doing things they didn't want to do. And because of the ignorance of the liberal teaching staff, they got away with it. What do they say about a little knowledge?