If you look hard enough anywhere you'll find nasty stories. If you scan the press in England I'm sure you'll find stories of fathers raping kids, drugged up mummies letting their kids smoke weed, wife abuse, blah blah blah.
So what? Doesn't mean Brits are backwards or brutal. Just that alot of people in a lot of places are screwed up. Whats new.
Im not saying Afghan cultures particulalry great, but they do have some good things. For example Pashtuns are duty bound to take care of strangers and guests who seek shelter with them (partly the reason they wouldn't give up Bin Laden) and to protect them with their lives no matter who they are, or whether they like them or not. And then there's an honour code, not letting anyone take the piss with them etc. I know this, my pashtun/english mate from Sheffield reminds me every minute.
And I think the Asian way of looking after the oldies is better. I think old people in this country are often bloody lonely and unhappy. And disrespected by a large part of society as well. We lose hands down on that one to a lot of 'backward' countries.