Malalai Joya is the author of “A Woman Among Warlords: The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Who Dared to Raise Her Voice” (co-written with Derrick O’Keefe). She spoke about her amazing story at a luncheon at the Prince Waleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University yesterday. All who heard her were impressed with her courage and her commitment to her homeland and the status of women there. Some of those who wanted to be of help, however, were surprised by her advice.
Joya sees no conflict between Islam and democracy. She emphasized the firm place of Islam in Afghani society, but she also deplored the disaster wrought by those who mix politics with religion, for whom, as she says, religion is an excuse to foist their political convictions on others. Because of her strong democratic credentials (she served as a member of the Afghani parliament) and somewhat secular views, some expected she would welcome the American intervention, but she sees it as a disaster for Afghani women. The best thing those who care about the rights of women in Afghanistan can do is to call for the complete and immediate withdrawal of American troops.
Joya believes that absent American intervention, the Afghanis themselves will rid themselves of the Taliban. I pointed out to her that in the years leading up to 2001 the Afghanis had not ousted the Taliban, but she was unmoved. At that time, she said, the CIA with collaboration from Pakistani intelligence was intervening intensively. She doesn’t just want American troops out, she wants an end to the flood of money and support that aids reactionary forces either directly or perversely, by linking progressive domestic forces with foreign interventionism.
When challenged by a fellow Afghani as to the constructiveness of what she saw as her negativity, Joya pointed an accusing finger right back, suggesting that if he wanted to help Afghanistan he should be in the country and not in the U.S.
While Ms. Joya seems to be a bit naive in her optimism over just how easily Afghanis could straighten out their own internal divisions, I must agree that American interventionism is more of an impediment that an aid to reform. This woman knows her country in ways American policymakers never will, and her ability to communicate with her people is attested to by the fact that she has managed to survive and continue to communicate. Give me a courageous optimist like Ms. Joya over apocalyptic imperialists any day.
Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, Ph.D.
Minaret of Freedom Institute
www.minaret.org
Leave a Reply