Target for the warlords

A formidable force, Malalai Joya puts her life on the line for women's rights

COURAGEOUS . . . Afghanistan MP Malalai Joya has braved death threats to let the world know of the plight of women in her country after the installation of an allegedly democratic parliament. Picture: Darren England

MALALAI Joya sleeps in a different bed every night and does not expect to grow old.

One of the few female members of parliament in Afghanistan and a vocal critic of the warlords who dominate that strife-torn nation, she is a walking target.

At 27, she has survived four assassination attempts and expects there will be more. In Brisbane for International Women's Day tomorrow, she met me at The Courier-Mail's office.

As I held the door open for her to enter the building, Joya looked towards me as if seeking permission to venture through. Clearly, the ladies-first concept hasn't caught on in Afghanistan.

She's small and quietly spoken until she begins to relate the conditions under which women live in her homeland and the atrocities to which they are routinely subjected in its male-dominated society.

She has come to Australia, she says, to tell Australian women – and men – the reality of life in Afghanistan after the overthrow of the Taliban regime and the installation of an allegedly democratic government.

She apologises for her imperfect English, which is quite good, and tells me her story.

"Unfortunately after the domination of the Taliban, there are no fundamental changes in the plight of the men and women of Afghanistan.

"The US and its allies replaced the Taliban with mujahideen who committed a lot of crimes under the name of jihad and Islam and they are continuing to commit these crimes, particularly against women.

"They have learnt to talk about democracy and women's rights and how to wear a suit and tie but they do not believe in these things.

"In the parliament there are war- lords, criminals and drug lords. Afghanistan right now is the world's biggest producer of opium, while violence against women is increasing day by day.

"Most of the people are poor, jobless and hopeless. "There is no security and no human rights in our country.

"They pretend to have democracy but our President has compromised with the criminals.

"What we have is a mockery of democracy. All these criminals in the Afghanistan parliament are now united and say they want to bring national unity.

"What they really want is to pass a Bill to forgive themselves."

Women, Joya says, are as downtrodden and routinely degraded as ever they were.

"The position of women now is the same as it was under the Taliban. The Government deceives people around the world, saying that women can now go to school. In most of the provinces of Afghanistan, women cannot go out of the house unless they are accompanied by a male relative.

"The local warlords in power are banning the schools, they are warning girls not to go to school.

"In the capital, Kabul, they kidnapped a five-year-old girl and then they raped her. Another girl, 11 years old, was killed after being raped by local warlords. They exchanged her body for a dog. They do not respect women as humans."

"A dog?" I ask in disbelief. "Yes, a dog," she repeats, deep brown eyes meeting my gaze.

Joya's voice rises as she recounts the horrors endured by women, telling of the degradations carried out by a member of one of the leading political parties in the country.

"He raped a 22-year-old woman in front of her children and then urinated on the faces of the children but nobody talks about that. Another killed two innocent children and threw them in the river.

"They don't want women to get education because they know if they get education, they will become aware and start playing a role in political issues, economic issues. The criminals and warlords will not be able to continue with their crimes if this happens.

"That's why they are against women's rights and always use Islam against women. In parliament a few months ago they made a law to say the marriage age for girls will be 16 which is against human rights. Always they use Islam and jihad against women."

Joya's previous existence has been upended since she was elected to the parliament in Kabul.

"My life over the last three years has completely changed. When I stand up against these warlords I receive death threats. Now I have to wear a burkha and have bodyguards. In parliament they turn off my microphone, threaten to kill me and throw bottles of water at me.

"Four times they try to assassinate me," she says calmly. "The last time they attacked my house and office so now in Kabul I can no longer have a house or office.

"I have a lot of problems but I continue because of my people, because of my country and because I believe in democracy and women's rights.

"I told them: 'One day physically you may kill me but you cannot silence the voice. This is the voice of the people of Afghanistan and you cannot always hide the truth'."

Her family is also under threat and has dispersed throughout the country.

"My parents cannot live with me because of security reasons. Our family all live in different towns.

"But I will continue to work to expose them and I will not compromise. My friends and supporters fear for my life. I don't want anything to happen to me either because I am young and I want to serve the women of Afghanistan."

Joya has a message for Australians, one which you would like to think would be considered by the Federal Government.

"If countries like the US continue their policies of supporting fundamentalist warlords, if they do not support the freedom-loving parties who have no kind of support, things could get worse. Maybe there will be another September 11 because these criminals are getting powerful and they are on the same side as the Taliban.

"There is lots of money coming into Afghanistan but the people are poor and right now they are dying."

Joya says that while her body was in Australia, her heart and mind remained in her homeland.

"Right now some people because of cold weather are dying because they are living under tents.

"If Australian supporters want to prove themselves as real and honest friends of the Afghan people, act independently.

"Please do not follow the policy of the US because it is a mockery of democracy and try to build schools and hospitals for us. As much as you can. We need them desperately.

"My main message to Australian women and men is please do not forget the sufferings in our country.

"We will be celebrating International Women's Day but the celebrations will only have real meaning when we have real democracy and real women's rights.

"The women of Afghanistan, they have nothing," she says as we finish the interview.

"Please do not forget them."