AWM News, October 20, 2009

Malalai Joya, the young woman who the BBC has hailed as the ‘bravest in Afghanistan,’ has published her memoirs, A Woman Among Warlords: The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Woman Who Dared to Speak Out (book tour details below).

Joya, now 31, was the youngest ever woman elected to the Afghan Parliament in 2005 and is an outspoken critic of the Karzai government and NATO occupation. She will be touring North America between Oct. 23 and Nov. 27 to speak about her new memoir, co-written with Canadian activist and writer Derrick O’Keefe.

With U.S. President Obama considering escalating the war in Afghanistan with over 40,000 more troops Joya’s speaking tour and book release is timely. “Afghan women like me, voting and running for office, have been held up as proof that the United States has brought democracy and women’s rights to Afghanistan,” Joya writes. “But it is all a lie.”

Her book tells the story of her life in the context of three decades of war. Joya details her reasons for opposing NATO's war and suggests concrete steps for building an independent and genuinely democratic Afghanistan.

Malalai Joya, often compared to Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi, has emerged as a symbol of Afghans’ desire for freedom from corruption, warlordism and foreign occupation. Her father, who lost a leg fighting the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, named her after a 19th century hero in the fight against the British Empire, Malalai of Maiwand.

Today, Joya brings to a North American audience the lessons of Afghanistan’s long history of occupation and resistance. And she hopes her book will “correct the tremendous amount of misinformation being spread about Afghanistan.”

“Afghans are sometimes represented in the media as a backward people, nothing more than terrorists, criminals and henchmen. This false image is extremely dangerous for the future of both my country and the West. The truth is that Afghans are brave and freedom loving people with a rich culture and a proud history. We are capable of defending our independence, governing ourselves and determining our own future.”

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Malalai Joya will be traveling through the US for a brief book tour at the following cities:

NEW YORK

Crisis and Resistance: Malalai Joya Speaks – Northeast Socialist Conference
WHEN: Friday October 23, 8-10 pm
WHERE: Columbia University – International Affairs Building – Altschul Auditorium, New York NY
FOR MORE INFO: Call 646-452-8662 or visit http://www.northeastsocialistconference.net/schedule

Afghanistan Peace Association Presents an Afternoon with Malalai Joya
WHEN: Saturday October 24, 1:30 – 3:30 pm
WHERE: 25 West 43rd Street, 18th Floor (between 5th & 6th Avenues), Manhattan, New York NY
FOR MORE INFO: Call 212-869-0182 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

CUNY Queens College Political Science Club Presents: A Woman Among Warlords
WHEN: Monday October 26, 4-6 pm
WHERE: CUNY Queens College in Rosenthal Library RM 230, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing NY
FOR MORE INFO: call Nadia Tatari at 718-374-1247.

Women Among Warlords: Rebuilding Afghanistan: A panel featuring Malalai Joya, Awista Ayub and Nasrine Gross, moderated by Laura Flanders of Grit TV.
WHEN: Tuesday October 27, 3-5 pm
WHERE: Center for Place, Culture, and Politics, Skylight Room (9th floor), The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Ave, New York NY

The Nation Institute, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Code Pink, The Campaign for Peace and Democracy, Mark Kurlansky, author of Non-Violence: The History of a Dangerous Idea, and veteran war correspondent Chris Hedges, author of War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning presents Malalai Joya with conversation with Chris Hedges. Additional speakers include Afghan vets Rick Reyes and Chris Vongsawat
WHEN: Wednesday October 28, 7-9 pm
WHERE: The Quaker Meeting House, 15 Rutherford Place, New York, NY

RHODE ISLAND

Anti-War Action of Brown University Presents Malalai Joya
WHEN: Sunday October 25, 4 – 6 pm
WHERE: Salomon Hall 101, Main Green, Brown University, Providence RI
FOR MORE INFO: Call 401-419-6199

BOSTON

United for Justice with Peace presents: The Bravest Woman in Afghanistan
WHEN: Thursday October 29, 7-9 pm
WHERE: MIT Room 10-25077 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA
FOR MORE INFO: Visit http://justicewithpeace.org/afghan-joya-mit

WASHINGTON DC

Busboys and Poets present: A Woman Among Warlords
WHEN: Sunday November 1, 7-9 pm
WHERE: Busboys & Poets, 2021 14th Street NW, Washington DC
FOR MORE INFO: Call (202) 387-7638 or visit http://www.busboysandpoets.com

LOS ANGELES

Codepink presents: An Afternoon with Malalai Joya, at the home of Jodie Evans
WHEN: Thursday November 5, 12-2 pm
WHERE: RSVP at http://tiny.cc/A3DRo to get address in Beverly Hills, CA
FOR MORE INFO: Visit http://www.codepinkalert.org/calendar/calendar.php?id=3223

Rainbow Festival and Conference 2009 presents: Leading Women of the World, featuring Malalai Joya
WHEN: Thursday November 5, 7-8 pm
WHERE: Crystal Cove Auditorium, Cross cultural Center, Univ of California, Irvine CA
FOR MORE INFO: call 949-351-2644 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

All Saints Church in Pasadena presents: A Woman Among Warlords
WHEN: Friday November 6, 7-9 pm
WHERE: All Saints Church, 132 N Euclid Avenue, Pasadena, CA
FOR MORE INFO: Call 626-676-7884

Womyn of Color Conference
WHEN: Saturday November 7, 9-10:30 am
WHERE: Cal State Los Angeles campus, 3rd Floor, University-Student Union, Los Angeles, CA
Pre-registration is required by Monday October 26
FOR MORE INFO: Call Denise Carlos at 323.343.5001.

BAY AREA

Culture and Conflict Forum at San Jose State University
WHEN: Saturday November 7, 3:45-5 pm
WHERE: Engineering Auditorium at San Jose State University near the campus entrance at South 7th street & San Fernando. Parking at the garage of 4th street and San Fernando.

Grandmothers Against War present: A Discussion with Malalai Joya
WHEN: Sunday November 8, 2:30 - 4:30 pm
WHERE: Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda, Berkeley CA
FOR MORE INFO: call (510-845-3815) or e-mail, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

UC Berkeley's Peace and Conflict Studies Department Presents: A Woman Among Warlords
WHEN: Tuesday November 10, 7-9 pm
WHERE: International House, Chevron Auditorium, Piedmont and Bancroft Aves. Berkeley CA

SEATTLE

Peace Action of Washington Presents: A Woman Among Warlords
WHEN: Wednesday November 11, 7-9 pm
WHERE: Seattle First Baptist, 1111 Harvard Ave., Seattle WA
FOR MORE INFO: Call 206-453-4471 or visit http://www.peaceactionofwa.org

Peace Action of Washington Presents: A Woman Among Warlords
WHEN: Thursday November 12, 12-1:30 pm
WHERE: Arntzen Hall #100, WWU, Bellingham WA
FOR MORE INFO: Call 206-453-4471 or visit http://www.peaceactionofwa.org