[Malalai Joya was the youngest member of the Afghan Parliament elected in the 2005 elections. Joya was subsequently suspended from parliament for labelling it full of warlords. Joya is a member of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, her memoir, Raising My Voice was released in October]Dear Friends,
First of all, I would like to thank all of you who come together today in solidarity with the suffering and ill-fated Afghan people and raise your voice against the wrong and devastating policies of your government in Afghanistan.
Eight years ago, the US and its allies occupied Afghanistan under the nice slogans of “democracy”, “women’s rights” and “freedom” but today we are as far from these values as we were in 2001.
Days after the invasion, the brutal regime of the Taliban was toppled but another bunch of terrorist warlords - the Northern Alliance, who are no different from Taliban, were supported by the West and imposed on our people.
The US and allies promised our people peace and justice, but instead they bombed civilians and changed Afghanistan into the world capital of opium and a military base in Asia. The well-being of our people have no value for them and they are just after their strategic, geo-political and economic interests in Afghanistan for which they are ready to push our people to greater dangers and play with our destiny.
In Afghanistan every day we are mourning civilian casualties as a result of the US/NATO bombardments and use of illegal weapons. In my own hometown, over 150 civilians, many of them women and children, were brutally killed when the US warplanes dropped 2000-pound bombs on two villages. Dropping thousands of cluster bombs and use of depleted-uranium and white phosphorus in bombs rained on Afghanistan have caused terrible environmental and health problems in my country.
The people of Australia should know that the people of Afghanistan want peace, liberation and democracy, but the current occupation is exactly against these values and have doubled our miseries and problems. We have come to the point that achieving these values is the sole responsibility of our people and its democratic-minded forces, those who claim to donate us these values will only push us toward slavery.
I believe that the Australian government follows the wrong policies of the US government in Afghanistan and wastes the tax-payers money. The money they are spending and the lives they are sacrificing is not for our poor people, but rather it adds to our miseries. So you should continue to put pressure on your government to pull out of Afghanistan.
Afghan women and children are the prime victims of this catastrophic situation. Rape, miss-treatment and other forms of violence against women is increasing rapidly but a reign of impunity prevails across Afghanistan for the warlords and drug-lords.
The “war on terror” is in fact a war against Afghan people. Billions of Dollars are spent under the name of war on terror, but Taliban and other terrorist groups are getting powerful day by day, despite the presence of over 100,000 foreign troops, Taliban have permanent presence in 80% of Afghanistan and impose their rule on the people.
Afghan people have found by experience in the past few years that the West once used us in its chess game during the Cold War, which cost us over two million lives and complete destruction of Afghanistan’s infrastructure. Now they are trying to use us in another such power struggle against its rising rivals in Asia. Therefore we say no to this occupation and want all the troops to withdraw Afghanistan as soon as possible.
Only those nations who liberate themselves can be free and we are ready to give any sacrifices for our freedom. We are happy that while Western governments bomb us, the great and peace loving people of these countries stand in solidarity with us and raise their voice against wrong-doings of their governments. Your solidarity and support gives us encouragement and determination to fight for justice and true democracy in Afghanistan till the end.
Let's join your hands with the democratic groups and anti war people of my country who are the only alternative for the bright future of Afghanistan.
I send my salutations to glorious anti-war movement in Australia and across the world.
LONG LIVE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY AGAINST WAR-MONGERS!
Malalai Joya
