Afghanistan held Parliamentary elections last weekend, but I ignored them in the struggle to cover our own ones. Then, when I was reading New Statesman yesterday, I came across an article on one of the candidates: Malalai Joya. She's a women's rights activist from Farah province, working on literacy, health, and violence against women. But she's most famous for a speech during the 2003 Loya Jirga, in which she condemned the presence of the warlords and Mujahadeen commanders who had brutalised the country with civil war, and called for them to be prosecuted by an international court for their crimes. This didn't make her any friends amongst the warlords - she's since survived four assassination attempts, and has to travel with armed guards - but it earned her a lasting constituency among their victims. And now, she's running for Parliament. Here's hoping she gets elected.
I'm not sure if any well balanced (dropping the rounded) Kiwi should actually have a favourite Afghan politician.
ReplyDeleteIt concerns me that you do.
I hope coalition talks do not drag on. Your desparate search for blog fodder could get you finding all sort of favourite things I really do not want to consider.
Because they're Afghan, or because they're a politician?
ReplyDeleteI don't see anything wrong with recognising and praising people who stand up for decency and against oppression. One of my worries is that I don't do it nearly enough.
Don't know what the previous comment is on about, but Idiot/Savant, I was just kidding. If you don't see the humour in having a favourite Afghani, then I supposed I need my medication upped. :)
ReplyDeleteYes I support your proposed politician on what you say.
ReplyDeleteBut also note that one also needs to be pragmatic spending all ones time trying to hunt down warlords could easily just result in your government collapsing and you being assasinated i done in a "blunt" an ineffective manner.