HRClinton’s State Department strikes again — bans Afghan MP/women’s rights activist until pushed to lift ban
Re-reporting, comment, editing by Carolyn Bennett
The U.S. Embassy last week denied famed Afghan women’s rights activist and Afghan Member of Parliament Malalai Joya a visa to the United States. Joya had planned an extensive U.S. speaking tour to have been launched last Saturday, according to the U.S.-based Afghan Women’s Mission.
“Americans are being denied the right to hear from an on-the-ground activist how the war is affecting ordinary Afghans, especially women,” the AWM said.
Matt Jones wrote two years ago in the Montreal Mirror, “The life of Afghan MP Malalai Joya has become an inconvenient truth about the war in Afghanistan.
“Rather than showing that Afghan women have been liberated since NATO tanks and troops rolled into the country, Joya has had to brave censorship, threats of violence and four assassination attempts under the new regime. In 2007, she received a three-year suspension from parliament for claiming [the parliament] was ‘a stable’ filled with warlords and drug barons. …
“Malalai Joya thinks two things need to happen before peace can come to Afghanistan —
the departure of foreign troops and
the prosecution of warlords.
“‘Your government says that if the troops leave Afghanistan, civil war will happen but nobody’s talking about today’s civil war. The longer troops stay in Afghanistan, the worse the civil war will be.
“‘[M]y people are squashed between two powerful enemies. From the sky, occupation forces are bombing, killing civilians. On the ground, Taliban and warlords continue their faction fighting.’”
Today’s Democracy Now program reports, “The U.S. Department of State has reversed a decision to deny a travel visa to Afghan women’s and democracy activist Malalai Joya.” Joya had planned a three-week U.S. tour to promote a new edition of her memoir when the U.S. imposed a ban but after coming under heavy protest, HR Clinton’s State Department reversed its decision. Joya will appear tonight in the U.S. state of Massachusetts.
Malalai Joya speaks unspeakable truths. Among the inconvenient truths she reveals in her interview with Matt Jones, “Rape, domestic violence, attacks, killing of women are increasing rapidly and all of these crimes are happening under the name of democracy.”
Sources and notes
“Four things you can do about Malalai Joya’s Visa Denial,” (ACTION ALERT: AWM News, Campaigns), March 18, 2011, http://www.afghanwomensmission.org/?p=1258
Afghan Women’s Mission
The Afghan Women’s Mission was founded in January 2000 by a small group of Americans to support the humanitarian and political work of RAWA. Projects include many programs run by Afghan women including Malalai Clinic, schools, orphanages, agricultural programs, demonstrations and functions in support of women’s and human rights. We are an all-volunteer organization based in the United States.
The Afghan Women’s Mission was founded in response to the compelling need for adequate hospital facilities near Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan. Their first undertaking was the re-opening of the Malalai Hospital in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. This flagship project was effectively started in late 2001. In 2005, Malalai Hospital was transitioned into Malalai Clinic in Khewa refugee camp, http://www.afghanwomensmission.org/?page_id=2
Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA)
RAWA is the oldest political/social organization of Afghan women struggling for peace, freedom, democracy and women's rights in fundamentalism-blighted Afghanistan since 1977, http://www.rawa.org/index.php
“Speaking truth to warlords Banned Afghan MP Malalai Joya on her country’s corruption, the bravery of women and being squashed between two powerful forces,”
http://www.montrealmirror.com/2009/111909/news1.html
“U.S. Reverses Visa Denial to Afghan Activist,” March 25, 2011, http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/25/headlines
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