Afghanistan

Afghanistan's bravest woman brings her message to UK

Five assassination attempts have failed to silence a woman determined to defend Afghans from warlords, drug lords and the Taliban

By Glyn Strong

It is a year since I last saw Malalai Joya. She was at Stansted airport preparing to return to Afghanistan: a tiny figure clutching a large holdall and a gold-coloured trophy. It was the Anna Politkovskaya Award for human rights campaigning and Ms Joya was the second recipient. Some might say the trophy brings with it a curse. It was created in memory of the Russian journalist gunned down outside her Moscow apartment in 2006. The first recipient, Natalya Estimerova, was murdered last week in the Chechen capital. As Ms Estimerova passed on the trophy to her in 2008, her message was blunt: "Malalai, be brave."

Having survived five assassination attempts, if there is one thing the Afghan woman is, it is brave. Her story is inextricably linked to the recent history of her country. Through her own determination she has become part of its legend; first as a teacher in the refugee camps of Pakistan, then as an activist covertly running schools for girls in Herat during the Taliban years. Politicised beyond her years she was elected to the Afghan parliament in 2005 as its youngest member.

Today she lands in Britain. She has a new book to promote, Raising My Voice, but she is also here to deliver an unequivocal – and uncomfortable – message that Nato troops are not wanted in her country. "Afghans are more than just a handful of warlords, Taliban, drug lords and lackeys," she says. "I have a country full of people who know what I know and believe what I believe; that we Afghans can govern ourselves without foreign interference."

MY COMMENTS

Yes, I agree with Mr. Glyn Strong or the caption "Bravest Woman". I would even go to an extent to call her "Best amongst the Bravest".

However, personally I don t agree with Malalai Joya’s statement that Afghan's never required / needed to take care of them BY "American or NATO forces". Now, For God's sake, none should misunderstand that I am pro big boss US or support any of their policies, am even against the TERMS AND CONDTIONS IMPOSED IN recent 123 agreement with India for "Nuclear fuel" and support. Almost all American Presidents, including Bush Jr. erred in all external policies and resorted to wanton aggressions, more so to retain their superiority in the world. And I don t support any of their policies of "Imperialism, Dictation or Aggression" in the name of democracy and peace.

BUT AS FOR THEIR MILITARY INTERVENTION IN AFGHANISTAN IS CONCERNED; that proved a blessing in disguise for the bruised/ battered AFGHANS WHO WERE REDUCED TO THE WORST KIND OF SLAVERY UNDER TALIBAN RULE. THE THEN USSR attempted to do something for "peace" but had to retreat with worst kind of defeat and then losing its super power position as no.2 in the world and thereafter also faced balkanization of the then USSR.

AFGHANISTAN WAS FREED FROM THE CLUTCHES OF DREADFUL "HUKMARANS" (TALIBANS)AND A DEMOCRATIC RULE WAS ESTABLISHED, ELECTIONS WERE HELD AND NOW THERE IS AN ELECTED PARLIAMENT AND P M (KARZAI). HAD IT NOT FOR U S- NATO POWER, ELECTION IN 2005 COULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE (BECAUSE OF WHICH MS. MALALAI JOYA TOO WAS ELECTED).

BUT ALL THIS WAS DONE BY U S, NOT BECAUSE OF ANY LOVE FOR AFGHANS, BUT FOR THEIR OWN SELFISH MOTIVE TO ELIMINATE THE WORLD TERRORIST AND THE MASTERMIND OF 9/11 OSAMA BIN LADEN WHO WAS TAKING SHELTER IN THE TERRAINS OF AFGHANISTAN, SUPPORTED BY TALIBAN RULERS. WHETHER THEY DID ELIMINATE HIM OR NOT IS STILL DEBATABLE and DOUBTFUL.

HOWEVER, U S AND NATO FORCES SHOULD HAVE WITHDRAWN FROM AFGHANISTAN AND WHICH, UNDER WORLD PRESSURE, PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS MADE TO AGREE THAT "WITHDRAWAL" AS HIS PRE-ELECTION PROMISE. BUT THIS, IT APPEARS COULD NOT BE AND CAN NOT BE POSSIBLE NOW DUE TO RESURGENCE OF STRONG TALIBAN FORCES CREATING HAVOC NOT ONLY IN PARTS OF AFGHANISTAN BUT PAKISTAN ALSO. EVEN I S I OF PAKISTAN WAS FORCED TO TAKE COVERT SUPPORT OF TALIBANS TO CREATE MORE AND MORE ACTS OF TERRORISM AGAINST INDIA OR EVEN AGAINST THE PEACE LOVING PAKISTANI OR KASHMIRI PEOPLE. THERE ARE REPORTS/RUMOURS THAT "TALIBANS" HAVE A SINISTER PLAN TO CARVE OUT A TERRITORY CALLED "MUGHALISTAN" OR "TALIBANISTAN" BY CAPTURING AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN AND A PORTION OF INDIAN TERRITORY TO REACH TO BANGLA DESH. LET US PAUSE FOR A MOMENT AND ASK OURSELVES, "IS PAKISTAN OR INDIA" ON ITS OWN STRENGTH CAPABLE OF STOPPING SUCH AN EVENTUALITY WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF NATO POWERS; ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ASPIRING SUPER POWER CHINA IS EVER READY TO SUPPORT SUCH MISADVENTURE OF "TALIBANS"?

THESE ARE STRICTLY MY PERSONAL VIEWS AND NOT IN SUPPORT OR AGAINST ANY NATION, COMMUINITY, RELIGION OR IDEOLOGY. OTHERS HAVE A LIBERTY TO DIFFER OR DISAGREE. AND I will welcome the criticism, if any.