Of course they are backwards. Most of them, and especially the women are lucky to be educated at all, even to primary level.
Let's hope that, in spite of all the back stabbing by some with hidden agendas in the West, we can succeed in helping these people to come into the 20th Century. Whilst,at the same time we can remove the gruesome, tiresome 'I love decapitation' Taliban, from the face of the earth!