19/12/2003
stampa
invia
"We're treated like second-class citizens", chant a hundred of brave
Afghan women inside the big tent mounted at Kabul's Politechnic
University. They are here to claim equal opportunities and rights, that
they want to be guaranteed by the Constitution. In today's Afghanistan
this is no easy feat. Just a little bit easier than some years ago,
when the Taliban held sway.
Together with the role of Islam and the new Afghan state's form of government, one of the most controversial issues about the draft constitution is the role of women in the future Afghan society. It's a delicate issue, in a country where a husband can sentence his wife to death for having dared quarrel with his brother, and shoot 34 AK-47 bullets at her legs. It's happened, and it will happen again.
"You shouldn't try to put yourselves at the same level of men" - the
women were addressed two days ago by newly-elected Loya Jirga
president, Seraptullah Mujaddidi, while rejecting the appointment of a
woman as vicepresident of the assembly - "and remember that not even
God conceded women the same rights He gave to men. As the sharia
(Islamic law) says, the vote of two women is equal in value to that of
one man". Tough words, as heavy as a stone.
Only after the women delegates at Loya Jirga threatened to leave the works in mass did Mujaddidi accept the appointment as fourth vicepresident of Safia Sediqi, a delegate from Nargarhar province. But his words deeply scaled down the women's expectations for a Loya Jirga debate on their rights.
Nonetheless, Afghan women's pride wasn't late in reacting. Yesterday
afternoon Malali Joya, a delegate from Farah province, surprised
everybody by launching an historic "j'accuse" against the mujaheddin
commanders present in great numbers at Loya Jirga. "They're criminals -
she said before the five hundred delegates - who should be tried in
tribunal, instead of being here to decide the fate of this country".
While accusing them of being the main responsible for Kabul's
destruction and the whole Afghanistan's socio-economic collapse during
the bloody civil war of the Nineties, Malali Joya especially lashed out
at the presence of Abdul Rasul Sayaf, leader of the ultra-conservative
Ittihad-e-Islami party.
Her speech got some applauses, but president Mujaddidi soon after ordered her expulsion from the assembly. At that point, the mujaheddin accused by Joya started crying "Death to communists". The order was restored only thanks to the Afghan soldiers' intervention. Sayaf himself, while inviting the delegates to calm, threateningly warned the US and the present Afghan government not to try to rule ex-mujaheddin out of the constitutional process. "Otherwise - he said - blood will flow in Afghanistan".
Afghans say Malali Joya is right. Once again, on Kabul's dusty streets everybody talks about the Jirga, and what happens there. People don't care about the fact that none of 160 articles of the draft constitution has been discussed after five days of meetings. Many agree with what Malali Joya said. Especially those who lived the war among mujahedding factions staying in Kabul, without escaping, suffering many privations. The commanders who then razed to the ground whole quarters of Kabul today have a seat in the great assembly and decide the future of (their) country. The survivors can just place their hopes in the words of a brave woman.
stampainvia
Women delegates at the Constituent Great Council accuse mujaheddin commanders
Written for Peacereporter by
Marco Rivolta
Marco Rivolta
"We're treated like second-class citizens", chant a hundred of brave
Afghan women inside the big tent mounted at Kabul's Politechnic
University. They are here to claim equal opportunities and rights, that
they want to be guaranteed by the Constitution. In today's Afghanistan
this is no easy feat. Just a little bit easier than some years ago,
when the Taliban held sway.
Together with the role of Islam and the new Afghan state's form of government, one of the most controversial issues about the draft constitution is the role of women in the future Afghan society. It's a delicate issue, in a country where a husband can sentence his wife to death for having dared quarrel with his brother, and shoot 34 AK-47 bullets at her legs. It's happened, and it will happen again.
"You shouldn't try to put yourselves at the same level of men" - the
women were addressed two days ago by newly-elected Loya Jirga
president, Seraptullah Mujaddidi, while rejecting the appointment of a
woman as vicepresident of the assembly - "and remember that not even
God conceded women the same rights He gave to men. As the sharia
(Islamic law) says, the vote of two women is equal in value to that of
one man". Tough words, as heavy as a stone.
Only after the women delegates at Loya Jirga threatened to leave the works in mass did Mujaddidi accept the appointment as fourth vicepresident of Safia Sediqi, a delegate from Nargarhar province. But his words deeply scaled down the women's expectations for a Loya Jirga debate on their rights.
Nonetheless, Afghan women's pride wasn't late in reacting. Yesterday
afternoon Malali Joya, a delegate from Farah province, surprised
everybody by launching an historic "j'accuse" against the mujaheddin
commanders present in great numbers at Loya Jirga. "They're criminals -
she said before the five hundred delegates - who should be tried in
tribunal, instead of being here to decide the fate of this country".
While accusing them of being the main responsible for Kabul's
destruction and the whole Afghanistan's socio-economic collapse during
the bloody civil war of the Nineties, Malali Joya especially lashed out
at the presence of Abdul Rasul Sayaf, leader of the ultra-conservative
Ittihad-e-Islami party.
Her speech got some applauses, but president Mujaddidi soon after ordered her expulsion from the assembly. At that point, the mujaheddin accused by Joya started crying "Death to communists". The order was restored only thanks to the Afghan soldiers' intervention. Sayaf himself, while inviting the delegates to calm, threateningly warned the US and the present Afghan government not to try to rule ex-mujaheddin out of the constitutional process. "Otherwise - he said - blood will flow in Afghanistan".
Afghans say Malali Joya is right. Once again, on Kabul's dusty streets everybody talks about the Jirga, and what happens there. People don't care about the fact that none of 160 articles of the draft constitution has been discussed after five days of meetings. Many agree with what Malali Joya said. Especially those who lived the war among mujahedding factions staying in Kabul, without escaping, suffering many privations. The commanders who then razed to the ground whole quarters of Kabul today have a seat in the great assembly and decide the future of (their) country. The survivors can just place their hopes in the words of a brave woman.
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