Malalai Joya has been called “the bravest women in Afghanistan.” At 28, she is the youngest member of the Afghan Parliament and has been an outspoken critic of the occupation of Afghanistan and warlords and drug lords in the government.
“Today we need security and liberation, but in the name of security, the foreign troops deprived us of our liberation. We need international support, but we don’t want occupation,” she has said.
Joya was expelled from parliament in May, which Canada and its NATO allies have remained silent about, despite pre-occupation propaganda about women’s rights and democracy.
Joya is speaking in Toronto tonight, and a day of action is planned for tomorrow to demand her reinstatement.
Details of the event below.
Public forum
WOMEN AND WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
Tuesday, November 6, 7:00pm
Steelworkers’ Hall
25 Cecil Street
(1 block south of College, 1.5 blocks east of Spadina)
Speakers:
MALALAI JOYA Member of the Loya Jirga, Afghanistan’s parliament
PEGGY NASH Member of Parliament for Parkdale–High Park (New Democratic Party)
CAROLN EGAN President, Steelworkers’ Toronto Area Council
AUSMA MALIK Vice-president Equity, University of Toronto Students’ Union
(2006-07)
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-
Wednesday, Nov. 7: Day of Action to reinstate and defend Malalai Joya!
Phone, Email, or Fax Foreign Affairs Canada and the Afghan Ambassador this Wednesday. Even if you can’t make the picket against Stephen Harper (see details below), take a few minutes to communicate your opposition to the Harper government’s silence.
It is unacceptable that the Government of Canada, which as part of the NATO occupation of Afghanistan backs the corrupt and repressive government of Afghanistan, has remained silent and complicit with efforts to marginalize and ultimately eliminate Malalai Joya’s voice of opposition.
Across Canada, we are asking you to take a few minutes to show your support for Malalai Joya by phone, email or fax: Demand that Joya be reinstated to her elected position and that her security be assured. Let Harper and company know that people in Canada and the world are watching!
Prime Minister, Stephen Harper
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa K1A 0A2
Fax: 613-941-6900
email:pm@pm.gc.ca
Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Canada, Omar Samad
246 Queen Street, Suite 400
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5E4
Tel: (613) 563-4223 / 65
Fax: (613) 563-4962
email: contact@afghanemb-canada.net
The Hon. Maxime Bernier
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Lester B. Pearson Building, Room A-10 125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa ON K1A 0G2
Phone: Phone: (613) 995-1851
Fax: (613) 996-3443
Email: maxime.bernier@international.gc.ca
Background:
In May of this year, Stephen Harper was in Afghanistan the day after the popular and outspoken 29 year-old Malalai Joya was unjustly suspended from the Afghan parliament. Joya has faced assassination attempts and
constant threats and abuse ever since she gained prominence at the 2003 Constitutional Assembly where she denounced the presence of warlords and war criminals. Joya was elected to parliament in 2005 and has continued to speak out. She has been suspended on the pretext that she had insulted fellow MPs by criticizing them in a television interview.
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two comments
Here's an interview with Joya:
http://www.rabble.ca/rabble_interview...
Posted by Nicole
November 6, 2007, 9:39 AM
I think that Malamai Joya is so good. She is fighting for importent things. I understand her very well. Why should't girls have the same right like men? I mean, what's the difference between men and women? We are all humans, we all should have the same rights.
Posted by R.
April 4, 2008, 11:42 AM
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