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Excerpts from Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), International Women’s Day, March 8, 2002

Partisans of freedom, sisters and brothers,

When celebrating March 8th last year, RAWA expressed the fond hope that in the coming year, i.e. 2002, we will be celebrating International Women's Day inside a free and liberated Afghanistan. During the course of the past year the world community was shocked by events emanating from Afghanistan and contemporary history has been drastically changed by them. Many things have come to pass in Afghanistan . . . but it is with bitter disappointment that despite all these momentous changes our unhappy land is still far from enjoying freedom and liberty. The women of the world celebrate International Women's Day with spirit and enthusiasm; in Afghanistan women still don't feel safe enough to throw away their wretched burqa shrouds, let alone raise their voices in the thousands in support of freedom and democracy. There is still a wide chasm between us and the glorious future we have fixed our eyes, hearts and minds upon.

To give voice to such agonised musings is by no means an indication of despair or lack of faith in a better tomorrow. For over two decades, RAWA has intrepidly and steadfastly been treading a precipitous path of tears and blood. We know full well the perils and the dangers of the road ahead of us, and we will not for an instant falter in our resolve to continue to fight crazed religious fundamentalism and its patrons who stand in our way of reaching our goals of peace, democracy, progress and women's emancipation. And in the course of this travail we will succumb neither to misgivings nor to delusions.

Despite the fact that in the course of the months after the horrendous attack of religious fanatics on New York and Washington we have on several occasions set forth our views and stances on pertinent issues, we avail ourselves of the present opportunity to once again reiterate our principled positions on key issues. We hope that by so doing we will have responded to numerous queries posed by RAWA supporters inside Afghanistan and abroad:

RAWA and the US military campaign against the Taliban and the Osama band

RAWA has consistently emphasised the fact that the Taliban, Osama & Co., and other fundamentalist bands in Afghanistan are creatures of myopic US policies vis-à-vis the Afghan war of resistance against Soviet aggression. As long as such Frankenstein monsters were useful for the pursuance of US policies, successive US governments supported them and persistently turned a blind eye to the higher interests of the people of Afghanistan and to the consequences of such support for freedom and democracy in our country and the region. RAWA takes great pride in the fact that we persistently condemned this US policy and never caved in to pressure nor "circumspection", nor to the lure political or financial opportunism.

We look upon the American nation as a great people who have made immense contributions to human civilisation, social and scientific progress. It is the conscience of the people of the United States that is scourged first and foremost by the slaughter of innocent Afghans in consequence of US bombardment in Afghanistan. Proof of this is amply shown in demonstrations against the war in Afghanistan in most American cities. RAWA has been inundated by thousands of emails from across the United States expressing sympathy with our people and condemning the US bombardments which claim innocent victims. Visits to Afghanistan by groups of bereaved Americans who have lost dear ones in the September 11 tragedy to sympathise and commiserate with the victims of the bombardments is a shining example of the humanism and love of peace typical of the people of the United States. Such gestures will never be forgotten by the people of Afghanistan. . . .

We look upon the US military campaign in Afghanistan not as an aggression against Afghanistan or a war on the Afghan people, or as an aggression against Islam or the Muslims but as a fracas between patron and ex-protégés. In contradistinction to some mealy-mouthed, colluding women's organisations, the total obliteration not only of the Taliban and their al-Qaeda props but also of the criminal Jehadis is a top RAWA political priority. The bloodshed and misery visited upon our innocent fundamentalism-scourged people -the euphemistically called "collateral damage"- in consequence of the US punishment meted out to its rebellious former agents cannot but incite our opposition to America's war in Afghanistan. We had many a time in the past proclaimed that a meaningful, decisive and timely UN injunction on all countries in regard to supplying funds and arms to the Taliban, coupled with a loud and clear call to all countries to support anti-fundamentalist and pro-democracy forces in Afghanistan were the means to contain the Taliban and the al-Qaeda and to shorten the life span of these vermin.

RAWA and the war on terrorism

One fundamentalist band cannot be fought by siding with and supporting another. In its war on the Taliban and the al-Qaeda, the US has taken the "Northern Alliance" into service through wooing and arming certain infamous warlords. By so doing, the US is in fact abetting the worst enemies of our people and is continuing the same tyrannical policy against the people and the destiny of Afghanistan which successive US administrations adopted during the past two decades. The Taliban and the al-Qaeda cannot be eradicated through military and financial might alone. War on the Taliban and the al-Qaeda is not only a war on the military and financial fronts, it is a war on the ideological front too. Until such time as mindsets and thoughts characteristic of the Taliban and Osama & Co. remain, it is inevitable that we shall witness their trademark barbarism erupt yet once again, be it in Afghanistan or in any other part of the world. The den of these evil criminals in Afghanistan is under siege. Democratic and anti-fundamentalist forces in Afghanistan need to fight the Taliban, the al-Qaeda and their fundamentalist brethren relentlessly and resolutely until total eradication of terrorism and fundamentalism in all its forms in our country. Only with the taking root of democracy in Afghanistan with the unreserved support of the international community can final victory over terrorism and fundamentalism be achieved.

The situation after the fall of the Taliban

The Bonn gathering on Afghanistan was convened with the aim of forming a transitional administration and deciding what needs to be done in the long term after the pulverisation of the Taliban and the al-Qaeda. With the exception of supporters of the former king, over three fourths of the participants of the gathering were comprised of ignominious representatives of the "Northern Alliance" and affiliates of the infamous terrorist organisation of Golbodin Hekmatyar. Therefore, despite the vociferous benedictions of the Western media, the Bonn gathering cannot be a harbinger of peace and democracy for our people. The parcelling out of key ministries amongst figures whose horrendous crimes still haunt our people and the worsening of the security situation in Kabul and in other provinces have borne out for the umpteenth time the veracity of our predictions based on the track record of the "Northern Alliance". The existence of one or two showpiece women in the transitional administration (one belonging to a party infamous for being a lackey of the Iranian regime and the other a former high-ranking member of a party which epitomises treachery to the motherland) is more an insult to Afghan women than a symbol of the restoration of their status and legal rights. The women of Afghanistan have not been liberated. . . .

RAWA has repeatedly and consistently asserted that under the prevailing circumstances no power except the Afghan people themselves can or will succour them against fundamentalism, and there is no precedent in history wherein a foreign nation or nations who have themselves been patrons and abettors of agents of bondage and fundamentalist affliction have granted liberty to a nation held in thrall by those very same agents. It was for this reason that RAWA persistently called on our people to rise up against the Taliban, the al-Qaeda and other fundamentalists. Such was the precondition for averting the circumstances which have brought about US bombardment and the slaughter of innocent people, and for preventing any group of religious vampires from having a share in power in post-Taliban Afghanistan.

Mr Karzai, who does not have the backing and support of any indigenous organisation or armed force, together with a number of his like-situated colleagues are hostages in the hands of "Northern Alliance" criminals. Mr Karzai, not a fundamentalist himself, has a history of colluding and hobnobbing with Burhanuddin Rabbani and his band, and has therefore deluded himself into thinking that putting up with the criminals he has around him and honouring arch-warlords like Rabbani would bring him political dividends. Unfortunately he either does not know or does not want to know that his key ministers are perpetrators of heinous crimes against our people -infamies which are manifold times more unpardonable and inexpiable than those of the Taliban. . . .

There are some who ask, "Why can't RAWA finally approve of any government in Afghanistan?" The answer is simple: because we do not deem any present or past political force coming to power as democratic and believing in the inalienable rights of women. . . .

Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) March 8, 2002 - Peshawar

Disclaimer:  The PSC has collected, presented and linked materials and writings on these issues to promote discussion and debate.  The PSC has not endorsed any of the views expressed in these writings, materials or links.  They are posted for the purpose of promoting dialog and discussion in the spirit of the the PSC Delegate Assembly March 21 Resolution (Be it Resolved that during the next two months the PSC conduct an education and discussion process on the issue, both at the chapter level and University-wide, in preparation for formulating union policy.)

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