Guest guest Posted October 23, 2001 Report Share Posted October 23, 2001 > > Mishra, Mira > Sent: Friday, October 19, 2001 2:30 PM > To: 'endhouse (AT) sympatico (DOT) ca' > Cc: 'azmulhaq (AT) home (DOT) com' > Subject: New York Times --exceptional > > > > > >http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/19/opinion/19GOOD.html?ex=1004492637&ei=1& > enThe > > Rifle and the Veil: October 19, 2001 > > > > > > > > > > By JAN GOODWIN and JESSICA NEUWIRTH > > > > > > > > > > > > > > When radical movements are on the rise, women are the canaries > > > > > in the mines. The very visible repression of forced veiling and > > > > > loss of hard-won freedoms coexists naturally with a general > > > > > disrespect for human rights. This repression of women is > > > > > not about religion; it is a political tool for achieving > > > > > and consolidating power. > > > > > > > > > > Sher Abbas Stanakzai, the Taliban regime's deputy > > > > > foreign minister, admitted as much in a 1997 interview. > > > > > "Our current restrictions of women are necessary in order > > > > > to bring the Afghan people under control," he said. "We > > > > > need these restrictions until people learn to obey the > > > > > Taliban." > > > > > > > > > > In the same way that many extremist crusades use > > > > > the oppression of women to help them gain control over > > > > > wider populations, the Taliban and Osama bin Laden are now > > > > > employing the tactics of terrorism to gain control. > > > > > > > > > > The Taliban did not start the oppression of Afghan women, > > > > > nor have they been its only practitioners. Afghan women gradually gained rights in the first decades > > > > of the 20th century. Women helped write their country's > > > > Constitution in 1964. They served in parliament and the > > > > cabinet and were diplomats, academics, professionals, > > > > judges and even army generals. All of this happened well > > > > before the Soviets arrived in 1979, with their much-touted > > > > claim of liberating Afghan women. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > In 1989, Arab militants working with the Afghan resistance > > > > > to the Soviet Union based in Peshawar, Pakistan - and > > > > > helping to finance the resistance fighters - issued a > > > > > fatwa, or religious ruling, stating that Afghan women would > > > > > be killed if they worked for humanitarian organizations. > Soon afterward, another edict in Peshawar forbade Afghan women to "walk with pride" or walk in the middle of the street and said they must wear the hijab, the Arab black head and body covering and half-face veil. Again, most women felt they had no choice but to comply. > > > > > > > > > > In 1990, a fatwa from Afghan leaders in Peshawar decreed > > > > > that women should not attend schools or become educated, > > > > > and that if they did, the Islamic movement would meet with > > > > > failure. The document measured 2 feet by 3 feet to > > > > > accommodate the signatures of about 200 mullahs and > > > > > political leaders representing the majority of the seven > > > > > main mujahedeen parties of Afghanistan. The leading school > > > > > for Afghan girls in Peshawar, where many Afghan refugees > > > > > still lived, was sprayed with Kalashnikov gunfire. It > > > > > closed for months, and its principal was forced into > > > > > hiding. > > > > > > > > > > When an alliance of mujahedeen groups took over in Kabul in > > > > > 1992, it forced women out of news broadcasting and > > > > > government ministry jobs and required them to wear veils. > > > > > But it was the Taliban who institutionalized the total > > > > > oppression of women after Kabul fell to them four years > > > > > later, and who required the total coverage of the now > > > > > familiar burqa. > > > > > > > > > > Now, as Afghans, Pakistanis and Americans look to the > > > > > future of Afghanistan, most plans call for a broad-based > > > > > new government giving representation to all of > > > > > Afghanistan's ethnic groups and major political parties, > > > > > including the Taliban. No one, however, has called for the > > > > > participation of women, even though women, after many years > > > > > of war, now almost certainly make up the majority of the > > > > > adult Afghan population. > > > > > Many of the forces now opposing the Taliban include > > > > signatories of the later fatwas that deprived Afghan women > > > > of their rights. History is repeating itself. > > > > > > > > > > > Any political process that moves forward without the > > > > > representation and participation of women will undermine > > > > > any chances that the principles of democracy and human > > > > > rights will take hold in Afghanistan. It will be the first > > > > > clue that little has changed. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Jan Goodwin is author of "Price of Honor," a book on women > > > > > and Islamic extremism. Jessica Neuwirth is president of > > > > > Equality Now, an international women's rights group. > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________ > ______________________ > > > > > > > For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters > > > > > or other creative advertising opportunities with The > > > > > New York Times on the Web, please contact Alyson > > > > > Racer at alyson (AT) nytimes (DOT) com or visit our online media > > > > > kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Frieda Werden, Producer > > WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service > > P.O. Box 33220, Austin TX 78764 USA > > (512)416-9000 wings (AT) wings (DOT) org http://www.wings.org > > fax number: (425)675-1297> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Mira Mishra > Tel: 416-327-7697 > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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