A women rights activist's dairy from Afghanistan

2006-10-01T14:32:00.000+04:30

Open Letter
On the assassination of
Safia Amajan a women’s rights activist in Qandahar

28 September 2006

To:

His Excellency Hamid Karzai President of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
His Excellency Kofi Annan Head of the United Nation General Assembly
The International Community Supporting Afghanistan Reconstruction
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
The People of Afghanistan

We Afghan Women from the Government, Member of Parliament, Civil Society, Political Parties and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission wish to express our grief and concern over the assassination of Mrs. Safia Amajan by dark-minded Taliban. We believe our griefs are equally shared by you, however we are concerned that such incidence are taking us back to the dark days of women oppressor regimes.

Ms.Safia Amajan was a 65 years Grand mother, elected director of Women Affair’s Ministry directorate of Qandahar, a teacher and active women rights and human rights activist, and Hafiz[1] of the Holy Quran. She was a well respected personality all over the province.

When we are seeing that killing of such personality is only followed by grief, this concerns us highly. We are asking the question whether our effort of five years were
worthless?

Such terrorist act on one side questions the credibility of Afghan Government and the International community in provision of security, law enforcement and democracy, on the other hand it gives more motivation and courage to the women oppressor groups.

This terrorist act shows that enemies of Afghanistan people freedom see women as the real obstacle in pursuing their mean benefits. We believe without real participation of women in social, political and economic life the prevalence of real democracy is difficult. We therefore ask the Afghanistan Islamic Republic, the International community and NATO forces that they should take more serious steps for security and protection of women.

The Government and International community can only prove their claims if they support and protect women’s active participation and just efforts, not in leaving women in isolation.

Our message to Afghan women and men is to not let that such heinous, anti Islamic and anti human acts over take their courage for participation in reconstruction of a free, developed and sovereign Afghanistan.

Representatives from:

Ministry of Women Affairs
Ministry of Health
The upper house of parliament
The Lower house of Parliament
Afghanistan Independent Commission of Human Rights
Political Parties
Afghan Women’s Network (AWN)
All Women Union of Afghanistan
Humanitarian assistance for Women and Children of Afghanistan (HAWCA)
Afghans Civil Society Forum
Culture and Civil Society of Afghanistan
The Judges Association
The Council of People of Afghanistan
Salam organization
Women World
The Association free speech

[1] One who achieves the skills of memorization and recitation of the Holy Quran.

2006-10-01T14:21:00.000+04:30

6میزان 1385مطابق به 27 سپتامبر 2006
نامه سرگشاده

عنوانی:
· جلالتمآب رییس جمهور جمهوری اسلامی افغانستان!
· آقای کوفی عنان سرمنشی سازمان ملل متحد!
· جامعه بین المللی حمایت کننده بازسازی افغانستان!
· قوای ناتو (پیمان اتلانتیک شمالی)
· مردم افغانستان!

ما زنان افغانستان، اعم از کارمندان دولت، اعضای پارلمان (مشرانو جرگه و ولسی جرگه)، جامعه مدنی، احزاب سیاسی شورا های مردمی و کمیسیون مستقل حقوق بشر اظهار میداریم که بی تردید قتل دحشتناک و شهادت مظلومانه خانم صفیه عمه جان توسط سیاهکاران ظلمت پرست طالب برای شما نیز درد انگیز و تکان دهنده است. اما برای ما نه فقط یک مصیبت اندوهبار بلکه فاجعه ای نگران کننده نیز است. فاجعه ای که میتواند خطر رجعت به گذشته تاریک حاکمیت نیروهای زن ستیز و آزادی کش را در چشم انداز ما قرار دهد. کابوس وحشتناک بازگشت به آن گذشته پر از ادبار و فلاکت، دیگر یک توهم نیست بلکه دارد به یک واقعیت بدل میشود.

خانم صفیه عمه جان مادرکلان 65 ساله، رییس منتخب زنان ولایت قندهار، حافظ قرآنکریم و آموزگار در طول عمر خویش پیوسته از مدافعان دلیر و با شهامت حقوق بشر و حقوق زنان بشمار میرفت. ایشان از حمایت وسیع مردم قندهار برخورداربودند.

وقتی می بینیم یکی از مدافعان سخت کوش و صادق اسلام، حقوق زن و حقوق بشر در کمال بی دفاعی و در روز روشن به خاک و خون می غلطد و جزیک اظهار تاسف بدرقه راهش نمیگردد، چگونه میتوانیم نگران نشویم؟ آیا این بدان معناست که پنج سال تلاش ما همه بیهوده بوده است؟

عواقب این ترور اولا اعتبار و حیثیت حکومت و حمایت جامعه جهانی برای افغانستان را در انظار جهانیان زیر سوال میبرد؛ ثانیا با ایجاد یاس و نگرانی زنان ستم کشیده افغانستان، دموکراسی و قانونیت را از طبیعی ترین متحد آن یعنی زنان بی بهره میسازد و ثالثا زن ستیزان ضد اسلام و دموکراسی جرات و جسارت بیشتر میدهند.

این ترور یکبار دیگر نشان داد که دشمنان افغانستان و آزادی مردم، زنان را مانع اصلی در برابر منافع خویش میبینند. ازین سبب میکوشند این مانع جدی را از پیش پای شان بردارند. ما به این باوریم که بدون مشارکت فعال زنان در حیات سیاسی، اقتصادی و اجتماعی، تحقق دموکراسی و عدالت اجتماعی میسر نیست. بناء تقاضای ما از دولت ج.ا.ا.، جامعه جهانی و نیروهای حافظ صلح اینست تا برای تامین امنیت و مصئونیت زنان اقدامات جدی و عملی صورت گیرد.

دولت و جامعه بین المللی تنها با دفاع از حضور فعال زنان و حمایت از کوشش های عدالتخواهانه آنان میتوانند صداقت ادعا های خویش را اثبات کنند و یا با بی توجهی و تنها گذاشتن ایشان، بی علاقگی خویش را به دموکراسی، حقوق بشر و ارزش های مدنی نشان دهند.

پیام ما برای زنان و مردان افغانستان اینست که نگذارند همچو اعمال ضد اسلامی و ضد بشری دشمنان وطن و آزادی، موجب ایجاد یاس و ناامیدی در آنان گردیده، مانع حضور و مشارکت فعال آنان در اعمار افغانستان آزاد، مترقی و سربلند گردد.

وزارت امور زنان
وزارت صحت عامه
مشرانو جرگه
ولسی جرگه
کمسیون مستقل حقوق بشر
کمیته مشارکت سیاسی زنان
احزاب سیاسی
مجمع زنان افغان
اتحادیه سراسری زنان
موسسه امداد انسانی برای زنان و کودکان افغانستان
مجتمع جامعه مدنی
فرهنگ و جامعه مدنی افغانستان
انجمن قضات زنان افغان
شورای سراسری مردم کابل
موسسه سلام
نشریه دنیای زن
انجمن آزادی بیان .

2006-10-01T14:16:00.000+04:30

زنان شهر مزار شریف خواهان خلع سلاح عاجل اند
(جمعآوری ده هزار امضاء توسط موسسه هاکا در شهر مزار شریف)

موسسه امداد انسانی برای زنان و کودکان افغانستان (هاکا) از مدتی بدینسو در ولایت بلخ شهر مزار شریف پروسه جمعآوری امضاء زنان در رابطه با موافقت شان با عملی شدن هر چه عاجل تر پروسه خلع سلاح را براه انداختند که با استقبال گرم مردم بخصوص زنان مواجه گردید. اورحلا اشرف دایریکتر موسسه هاکا که عنقریب سفری به شهر مزار شریف داشتند، از جریان این برنامه چنین گزارش میدهند:

براساس صحبت های نماینده دفتر هاکا در مزار شریف که مسئولیت این برنامه را داشتند، این اولین باری است که یک موسسه مربوط زنان در چنین شهری با وصف مشکلات امنیتی آن از زنان خواهان حمایت ازین پروسه دارای اهمیت میشوند. وی از تجارب خویش درین پروسه چنین میگوید:

"من بلا استثناء با هر کسی که مواجه شدم، ازین عمل استقبال بی سابقه ای نمودند، حتی استادان مکاتب میگفتند که "میتوانید از ما فلمبرداری نمایید وما همه به یک صدا خواهیم گفت که سلاح نمیخواهیم" ؛ "مردم این شهر از حاکمیت سلاح به سیر آمده اند، ما خواهان حاکمیت قانون برکشور خویش هستیم"...

در یکی از نهاد های شهر با خانمی مواجه شدم که در طول سالهای جنگ نزدیکانش را از دست داده بود، وی میگفت: "ما از دنیا خواهان صلح هستیم، جنگ بر ما بدبختی و فقر بارید؛ جنگ بر ما تاریکی و ماتم بارید؛ ما امید واریم که این امضاء ها و پروسه ها بگوش جنگ افروزانی که مردم از دست ایشان رنج های بی پایان متحمل میشوند، برسد".

البته باید یاد آور شد که این پروسه حدود یک و نیم ماه را در بر گرفت و بادر نظرداشت مشکلات امنیتی اخیردرین منطقه، مردم و بخصوص زنان این شهر، با اطمینان کامل ازین جریان حمایت نمودند، و موضوع دیگر قابل تذکر اینست که مسئولین بخش زنان جمعیت و جنبش خانم سیفوره نیازی و خانم زهرا همنبرد و تمامی اعضای بخش شان نیز حمایت تمام و کمال ازین پروسه را اعلام نموده و درخواستی خلع سلاح را امضاء نمودند.

موسسه هاکا امیدوار است تا بدینوسیله صدای زنان کشور ما را به گوش مسئولین این پروسه رسانیده و هر چه زودتر جریان خلع سلاح عمومی را عملی و تسریع نمایند.

بااحترام.

Women in Mazar-e-Sharif are supporting disarmament process

(Collection of ten thousand signatures in support of disarmament process by HAWCA)

Humanitarian Assistance for the Women and Children of Afghanistan (HAWCA) since some time is starting the process of collection signature for a petition calling for General disarmament of the irresponsible military men all over Afghanistan in the Northern region, City of Mazar-e-Sharif. This process have been tremendously successful over there and it faced a strong welcome by women from all walk to life as teachers, government employees, house wives, girl students of university and schools and also women in institutions.

Orzala Ashraf the director of HAWCA who traveled recently to Mazar city is reporting from the process of collection of TEN THAUSAND signatures for the petition of disarmament as follows:

According to the HAWCA representative in the field who was responsible for this action, this is the very first time that An Afghan Women NGO, despite of all insecure situation over here, is coming here and asking for support of such an important process.

“Whoever I met, without exception, was welcoming strongly this initiative and even the teachers of schools were saying: “you can come and film us and interview us, we all with a same voice will say NO to ARMS”; “The people of this city are suffering badly from power of guns, we want power of law and order for our city and our country”….

In one of institutions I met with a woman who lost many people from her family during the war, she said: “We want PEACE, war has destroyed our country; war had made us poor and helpless; war has set us in mourn and darkness; we hope this initiatives and signatures can reach to those who are responsible for creating war and killings of innocents, the ones from whom people are suffering even still.

It is to mention that this process as taken a month and half in Mazar city, and the people of Mazar in particular the women has announced their strong support from this initiative which ended up with collection of Ten Thousand signatures from women of this city.

It has also to be mentioned that women section of both military faction (Jamiat and Junbish) has also signed this and supported the process. (Reported by: HAWCA)

2006-10-01T14:15:00.000+04:30

Dear ALL,

Women’s Rights activists in Afghanistan expressed their concerns related to the re-establishment of religious police in the following statement:

Statement of the Women Political Participation Committee, Afghanistan
Condemn the Proclamation on the Re-establishment of Vice and Virtue Department
July 22, 2006

“Liberty is the natural right of human beings. This right has no limits unless affecting the rights of others or public interests, which are regulated by law. Liberty and dignity of human beings are inviolable. The state has the duty to respect and protect the liberty and dignity of human beings.” (Afghan Constitution, Article 24)

The Women Political Participation Committee expresses their strong protest against the violation of the Article 24 of The Afghan Constitution (through the proclamation on the re-establishment of Vice and Virtue Department).

The formation of such department appears designed to scrutinize beliefs, interfere by public forces in the personal domain and is the violation of personal dignity of the citizens, violation of Afghan constitution, Human Rights and International Conventions Afghanistan is bind by. This indicates the return to the past dictatorship and is against all democratic values.

It is not surprising that women, the international community and people of the world is talking about the Taliban like thinking of the Afghan government officials.

The Afghan government instead is revitalizing the very institution which left the marks of abuse, insult and inhuman behavior on Afghans memory by the dictator regimes of the past, should improve the security forces such as police to avoid anarchism, insecurity and respect the article 29 of the Constitution.

The way to fight moral corruption is not to abuse human and human abuse is clearly forbidden by Article 29 of the Constitution “Torture of human beings is prohibited. No person, even with the intention of discovering the truth, can resort to torture or order the torture of another person who may be under prosecution, arrest, or imprisoned, or convicted to punishment. Punishment contrary to human integrity is prohibited”.

Also according to Article 6 of the Afghan Constitution “The state is obliged to create a prosperous and progressive society based on social justice, protection of human dignity, protection of human rights, and realization of democracy...”

In respect of all the above mentioned the Women Political Participation Committee rejects the formation of Vice and Virtue and asks for reconsideration as women are always the sacrifice of customs, tradition and partial interpretation of Islam in the name of Islam.

We women as first Islamic Umah (Muslims) do not want any more that Islam be used for male dominance and politicization.

Women’s Political Participation Committee is an Afghan women independent, non-partisan lobbying group promoting women’s political participation. The committee comprises of women’s rights activists representing various civil society organizations.
For further information contact: Tel: (93) 70220688 Najia Haneefi najia_haneefi@yahoo.com / Palwasha Hassan Pal_kabul@yahoo.com and Dr. Alema a_alema@yahoo.de

2006-10-01T14:12:00.000+04:30

Declaration of Afghan Women NGOs
9th August, 2003 - Women’s Park, Kabul, Afghanistan

We the women gathered here today, in representing all Afghan women, suggest the following points in order to find the stability, peace, and security everywhere in our beloved country that will allow for the complete and practical reconstruction from all points of view, including economical and social, of Afghanistan.

Number 1 : The existence and extension of military forces such as ISAF or NATO, both in Kabul and all over Afghanistan for peace and security to be established and maintained for the welfare of all of the population of our country.

Number 2 : Disarmament of all the military factions which are not part of the Ministry of Defense, Interior Ministry, and National Security Department.

Number 3 : Disarmament and dismissal of all those addicted to war and murder as soon as possible.

Number 4: Formation and training of a national army and national police force and their deployment and extension all over Afghanistan. We especially want to emphasize the importance of a well trained police force to maintain law and order in our country.

Number 5 : Protection of the entire land and border of Afghanistan by the ISAF or NATO forces as well as the national army from the possible future attacks of neighboring countries, in particular, on the southern and eastern borders.

Number 6 : Prevention of forgetfulness of the situation in Afghanistan and avoidance of another global catastrophe. It is imperative that history not be repeated.

Number 7 : The urgent and quick reconstruction of Afghanistan with the international aid and funds promised.

Number 8 : The reconstruction and attention to capacity building and education and development for men and women in villages and remote areas.

Number 9 : Better training for the international security forces to enable them to better distinguish between civilian and enemy forces and thus reduce the number of incidents that have caused tears and anguish for innocent families.

Number 10 : The international security forces should play a positive and active role in bringing peace and security and achieving justice and law and order in the country.

Number 11 : Maintenance of justice, security, and law and order not only in the superficial sense – of no longer hearing bullets and rockets – but also in its more profound sense. In other words, stopping the murders of fellow human beings and reconstructing the social, physical and mental aspects of this country – in particular, by providing education facilities for the men and women in our war torn country.

Thank you.

Afghan Women’s Network and its member organizations.

2006-10-01T14:07:00.000+04:30

Declaration of Afghan Women NGOs 5th May, 2005

Whereas consideration of Islamic Sharia, the protection of basic human dignity, and the Afghan Constitution make the Afghan state responsible to protect the rights, property, and dignity of its citizens;
Whereas binding international conventions further oblige the Afghan state to protect the fundamental rights of men and women;
Whereas harmful outdated customs and beliefs in Afghanistan have resulted in acts of violence against women throughout the past catastrophic decades in the country;
Therefore institutions that work to defend human rights, associations that protect women’s rights, and members of Afghanistan’s civil society present this declaration as a proclamation of our grief and sorrow over of brutal killing of 22-year-old Amina in Badakhshan Province, the rape and killing of three women NGO-workers in Baghlan Province and the murder of a woman in Pulikhumri city. With a deep sense of concern for the threats to women’s dignity, honour, and lives in this difficult period, we call for the punishment of the perpetuators of these crimes against women and humanity, and demands the following actions from the government of Afghanistan:

1. We urge the elected president of Afghanistan to focus his urgent and serious personal attention to the issues mentioned above;
2. We insist that the judicial system of Afghanistan, as the institution responsible for justice in the country:
a. Expand and extend the reach and enforcement of the judicial system to the rural areas of the country in order to prevent similar actions from happening in the future;
b. Convict the merciless perpetrators of Amina’s murder;
c. Investigate the murder and rape of the other women immediately and urgently convict the criminals responsible in a public trial to ensure that the consequences of such actions are clear to others.
3. The government of Afghanistan, as a responsible and accountable institution, has to prohibit propaganda against NGOs so that attacks and assault against the workers of nongovernmental organizations are prevented;
4. Considering the budget that is allocated for national security, the government of Afghanistan must work and attain better prepared and more expert security for its citizens.
5. The clerics and Islamic scholars of the country, in accordance with their role as protectors of Sharia, must thwart the actions and movements that sully the name of Islam and Muslims.

As a consortium of concerned Afghan women, we denounce all actions and activities that perpetuate and promote violence against women.

From:

Afghan Women Lawyer’s Council
Humanitarian Assistance for the Women and Children of Afghanistan
Afghanistan Women Education Centre
Omid Education Centre
Noor Educational Centre
Afghan Women’s Political Participation Committee
Bakhtar Services Association (11th District)
Rights and Democracy
Nahid Shahid Collaborating Committee with Afghan Women
Women for the Reconstruction of Afghanistan
Arya Mehr Reconstruction
Association for the Capacity Building of Afghan Women
The Association for the Defence of Women’s Rights in Balkh
Rowzana
The Afghan Women’s Rights Defence Committee
Gowharsha Association for Rehabilitation and Skill Development
The Association for Handicrafts of Central Afghanistan’s Women
The Committee for the Reconstruction of Women’s Rights
The Afghan Women’s Network
Shafaq Journal
The Association of Developing Services for Women and Children
All-Afghan Women’s Union
Centre for Afghan Women’s Health Development
Education Centre for poor women and girls
Civil Society and Human rights network
The Civil Society Association for Peace