Reinstate Malalai Joya!
Harper’s hypocrisy: Two years of silence on Malalai Joya from Conservatives
May 21, 2009
On May 21, 2007, Malalai Joya – the young MP dubbed “the bravest woman in Afghanistan” by the BBC – was unjustly suspended from the Afghan National Assembly. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in Afghanistan on that day and, two years later, has still yet to make any statement about Joya’s mistreatment.
“Canada’s participation in this war in Afghanistan has been justified with rhetoric about women’s rights, yet Harper and the Conservatives remained silent when Malalai Joya was ousted from her elected position and again did nothing meaningful when Karzai signed the anti-women provision which sanctioned rape in marriage,” said Parvin Ashrafi, a women’s rights activist with the Iranian Centre for Peace, Freedom and Social Justice and a member of Friends of Malalai Joya -- Canada.
Joya, 31, who has survived at least four assassination attempts in recent years, continues to protest her suspension form Parliament and speak out against the NATO war and criticize both the western-backed warlords and the Taliban.
Last week, Joya released a statement condemning recent deadly NATO air strikes in her home province of Farah and denouncing plans to expand the war, “We ask for an end to the occupation of Afghanistan and a stop to such tragic war crimes.”
Malalai Joya has received broad international support calling for her reinstatement and protection from women’s rights activists, intellectuals and political leaders from a number of countries.
Libby Davies, NDP Member of Parliament for Vancouver-East, reiterated her support for Joya’s case. "The Harper Government claims they are supporting women's rights and democracy in Afghanistan. Why, then, have they been so silent on MP Malalai Joya's undemocractic two-year suspension from the Parliament of Afghanistan, where she has been a staunch advocate for equality and democracy," said Davies.
While Joya has been suspended and lives under threat of assassination, the Afghan government and National Assembly is full of notorious warlords. The Inter-Parliamentary Union, bringing together elected officials from 135 countries, has noted, “…the discrepancy that while the remarks made by Ms. Joya have led to a serious punishment, her treatment by some fellow parliamentarians that she has publicly denounced has reportedly not drawn any response from Parliament.”
Opposition MPs in Canada and elected officials in Germany, Italy, the UK, Spain and beyond have protested Joya’s expulsion. After two years, Harper and the Conservatives’ silence around her case speaks volumes about the sincerity of their commitment to women’s rights and genuine democracy in Afghanistan.
Friends of Malalai Joya -- Canada
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What can you do?
Send a message to the Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the Afghan Ambassador to Canada and demand that they reinstate Malalai Joya
Step 1
Cut and paste the following e-mails into the address line:
pm@pm.gc.ca , CannoL@parl.gc.ca , contact@afghanemb-canada.net , president@afghanistangov.org
Prime Minister Stephen Harper:
pm@pm.gc.ca
Foreign Minister, John Baird:
bairdj@parl.gc.ca
Afghan Ambassador Omar Samad:
contact@afghanemb-canada.net
Fax: 613-563-4962
Afghan President Hamid Karzai:
president@afghanistangov.org
Step 2
Include some background information in your letter or refer to the articles listed below.
Background Information:
Joya has been a thorn in the side of the NATO-supported government by being an outspoken critic of the human rights abuses of the warlords that dominate the parliament of Afghanistan. In the elections of May 2005, more than 60 per cent of those elected to parliament were from known warlord groups, many of whom are responsible for war crimes committed during the civil war from 1992 to 1996. An international campaign to have the warlords held to account failed when the parliament decided to offer immunity for all past war crimes.
Joya has been threatened and attacked for her stance. In 2006, President Hamid Karzai cut her security funding, proving that women's rights are not a concern for his government despite assertions to the contrary from the Government of Canada.
In an interview with the Guardian, Joya said: "When I speak in parliament they threaten me. In May they beat me by throwing bottles of water at me and they shouted, 'Take her and rape her.' These men who are in power, never have they apologized for their crimes that they committed in the wars, and now, with the support of the US, they continue with their crimes in a different way. That is why there is no fundamental change in the situation of women."
Even before her suspension, Malalai Joya faced censorship, abuse and constant threats including assassination attempts because she spoke the truth about the situation in her country. She denounced the overwhelming control of warlords, drug lords and war criminals in the Afghan government backed by the US and NATO. She spoke up for real democracy and women's rights, for disarmament, for the warlords to be brought to justice, and for peace in her country. For this, she has been silenced, and the governments of the NATO countries currently occupying Afghanistan have maintained a shameful silence.
For more information on Malalai Joya: http://malalaijoya.com
Read the Human Rights Watch statement about Malalai Joya's suspension
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2007/05/23/afghan15995.htm
Recent Headlines:
'Corruption eats away at Afghan government'
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080502.afghan03/BNStory/International/home
‘Ousted female Afghan lawmaker fighting to return to parliament
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/05/asia/AS-GEN-Afghan-Lawmaker-Ousted.php
‘Despite Taliban’s fall, Afghanistan faces familiar troubles’
http://www.projo.com/education/content/AFGHAN_SPEAKER_03-19-08_QG9E9TJ_v98.372f652.html
‘Canada should change its policy on Afghanistan’
http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2008/03/03/malalai-joya-canada-should-change-its-policy-on-afghanistan.html
Step 3
Send your e-mail or fax.
Step 4
Sign the on-line petition for Malalai Joya: http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/ReinstateMalalaiJoya
Please take video and photos of your event and send them to Malalai Joya’s defense committee at mj[at]malalaijoya.com.
To have your May 21 action listed, email Friends of Malalai Joya – Canada at malalai.joya[at]yahoo.ca.
Please let us know about your efforts by cc'ing the Canadian Peace Alliance cpa-at-web.ca
Malalai Joya's new book, A Woman Among Warlords: The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Who Dared to Speak Out is an inspiring account of her fight to liberate the people of Afghanistan after 30 years of war.
Reviews of A Woman among Warlords
“Perhaps the most remarkable feature of this inspiring memoir is that despite the horrors she relates, Malalai Joya leaves us with hope that the tormented people of Afghanistan can take their fate into their own hands if they are released from the grip of foreign powers, and that they can reconstruct a decent society from the wreckage left by decades of intervention and the merciless rule of the Taliban and the warlords who the invaders have imposed upon them. It is hard to find words to capture the incredible courage of this amazing young woman, and of the supporters who have gathered to protect her and carry on her work, particularly the many women ‘protesting with empty hands,’ evidence that ‘we are not only victims, and that women have the power to make changes in their lives and their country.’ She also shows how we can provide a helping hand -- not with landmines, bullets, and bombs, but with ‘an invasion of hospitals, clinics and schools for boys and girls.’ Joya is raising an eloquent voice, and we owe to her, and to her people, to listen carefully, to learn, and to act.”
- Noam Chomsky
“Afghan activist Joya makes an urgent plea for the world to acknowledge the truths hidden in the corrupt, complex country of Afghanistan.... The author’s brave narrative uses her personal experiences to outline the oppressive misrule of the past three decades in Afghanistan, and Joya is careful to differentiate between her country’s corrupt government and its freedom-wanting people. A chilling, vital memoir that reveals hidden truths about Afghanistan and directly addresses the misguided policies of the United States.”
- Kirkus Reviews
“Raising My Voice is an inspiring story of courage and Malalai Joya’s struggle against oppressive regimes... Societies need strong individuals such as Malalai Joya to speak out against corruption and oppression, and a read of this book will not only inform the reader about current events in Afghanistan, it will encourage them to listen more critically when a politician speaks about democracy and progress in that country."
- The Independent Weekly
Background and articles by Malalai Joya
Why Afghans Have No Hope in This Week's Vote
by Malalai Joya
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/18-10
Like millions of Afghans, I have no hope in the results of this week’s election. In a country ruled by warlords, occupation forces, Taliban insurgency, drug money and guns, no one can expect a legitimate or fair vote.
Among the people on the street, a common sentiment is, ‘Everything has already been decided by the U.S. and NATO, and the real winner has already been picked by the White House and Pentagon.’ Although there are a total of 41 candidates running for president, the vast majority of them are well known faces responsible for the current disastrous situation in Afghanistan.
Hamid Karzai has cemented alliances with brutal warlords and fundamentalists in order to maintain his position. Although our Constitution forbids war criminals from running for office, he has named two notorious militia commanders as his vice-presidential running mates – Qasim Fahim, who was, at the time of the 2001 invasion, the warlord who headed up the Northern Alliance, and Karim Khalili. The election commission did not reject them or a number of others accused of many crimes, and so the list of candidates also includes former Russian puppets and a former Taliban commander.
Karzai has also continued to absolutely betray the women of Afghanistan. Even after massive international outcry and brave protesters taking to the streets of Kabul, Karzai has implemented the infamous law targeting Shia women. He had initially promised to review the most egregious clauses, but in the end it was passed with few amendments, leaving the barbaric anti-women statements untouched. As Human Rights Watch recently said, “Karzai has made an unthinkable deal to sell Afghan women out in return for the support of fundamentalists in the August 20 election.”
Deals have been made with countless fundamentalists in Karzai’s maneuvering to stay in power. For example, pro-Iranian extremist Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, who has been accused of war crimes, has been promised five cabinet positions for his party, and so he has told the media he’s backing Karzai. A deal has even been done with the dreaded warlord Rashid Dostum – who has returned from exile in Turkey to campaign for Karzai – and many other such terrorists. Rather than democracy, what we have in Afghanistan today are back room deals amongst discredited warlords.
The two main contenders to Karzai’s continued rule, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Abdullah Abdullah, do not offer any change; both are former cabinet ministers in this discredited regime and neither has a real, broad footing amongst the people. Abdullah has run a high profile campaign, in part due to the backing and financial support he receives from Iran’s fundamentalist regime. Abdullah and some of the Northern Alliance commanders supporting him have threatened unrest if he loses the vote, raising fears of a return to the rampant violence and killing that marked the civil war years of 1992 to 1996. All of the major candidates’ speeches and policies are very similar. They make the same sweet-sounding promises, but we are not fooled. Afghans remember how Karzai abandoned his campaign pledges after winning the 2004 vote.
We Afghans know that this election will change nothing and it is only part of a show of democracy put on by and for the West, to legitimize its future puppet in Afghanistan. It seems we are doomed to see the continuation of this failed, mafia-like corrupt government for another term.
The people of Afghanistan are fed up with the rampant corruption of Karzai’s “narco-state” government – his own brother, Wali Karzai, has been linked to drug trafficking in Kandahar Province – and the escalating war waged by NATO. In May of this year, U.S. air strikes killed approximately 150 civilians in my native province, Farah. More than ever, Afghans are faced with powerful internal enemies – fundamentalist warlords and their Taliban brothers-in-creed – and the external enemies occupying the country.
Democracy will never come to Afghanistan through the barrel of a gun, or from the cluster bombs dropped by foreign forces. The struggle will be long and difficult, but the values of real democracy, human rights and women’s rights will only be won by the Afghan people themselves.
So not be fooled by this façade of democracy. Your governments in the West that claim to be bringing democracy to Afghanistan ignore public opinion in their own countries, where growing numbers are against the war. President Obama in particular needs to understand that the change Afghans believe in does not include more troops and a ramped up war.
If the populations of Afghanistan and the NATO countries were able to vote on this military occupation it could not continue indefinitely, and peace would finally be within reach.
Malalai Joya was the youngest Member of the Afghan Parliament elected in the 2005 elections. Her memoir, A Woman Among Warlords (Scribner), will be published this October.
More from Malalai Joya on the Afghan Elections
Interview: 'White House will pick Afghan leader'
Video: 'Malalai Joya speaks out ahead of Afghan elections':
