Lone Female Afghan Parliamentarian Challenges Warlords
Published 18 May 2006, 9:53 am -
1 Comment -
Filed under Sonali's Blog
This was posted on a new media blog that I am a part of. It’s by a group called Women in Media and News. The blog is WIMN’s Voices.
Malalai Joya, the brave 28 year old member of Afghanistan’s parliament is once again making waves. On May 5th, 2006, during a Parliamentary session, one member of Parliament who is a prominent local warl0rd complained about recent criticism of the mujahedin, the “holy warriors†who had been financed and armed by the US in the 1980s against the Soviet occupation. Malalai Joya spoke out, saying, “There are two types of mujahedin - one who were really mujahed [holy warriors], and the second, those who killed tens of thousands of innocent people and who are criminals.” [video of the incident]
Joya’s claims are accepted by the vast majority of the Afghan people, who were victimized by the brutal and misogynist, US-backed warlords during the 80s and early 90s. Many of these warlords are back in power and engage in summary intimidation of critics. Joya has received many death threats and survived four assassination attempts.
During last week’s outburst, she was threatened in public - she claims that some parliamentarians had even called for her to be raped. Water bottles were hurled at her and she eventually rushed out of the assembly hall [video of the incident].
The warlords’ attack sparked many women members of Parliament to temporarily boycott a following parliamentary session in solidarity with Joya.
Malalai Joya recently completed a US tour in March where she addressed thousands of Americans about the on-going abuses of Afghan women, and her own political persecution for daring to be a voice for her people. Sadly, her persecution has not been as worthy of media coverage as the case of Abdul Rahman.
For more information, visit Malalai Joya’s website at www.malalaijoya.com. There you can view video clips of her parliamentary challenges to the warlords.
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bETSY nOIORZAY on 27 Oct 2006 at 4:57 pm: 1
uNFORTUNATELY i MISSSED THIS SHOW,SO i’M GLAD TO READ THIS SUMMARY. mOST OF MY aFGHAN RELATIVES DON’T KNOW ABOUT SUCH PERSECUTION OF WOMEN i DON’T THINK. iTS STRANGE TO ME,BECAUSE SOME HAAVE BEEN BACK TO CHECK ON PROPERTY, SELL IT OR TO CHECK ON THE VARIOUS ORPHANGES, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES WE HELP WITH $$$.