Member of Afghanistan's Parliament Speaks at UMB

Malalai Joya's voice of courage and freedom rings loud and clear

Malalai Joya's voice of courage and freedom rings loud and clear. The 27-year-old Afghan woman, one of 90 women elected to Afghanistan's 300-member Parliament in September 2005, spoke at the School of Social Work as part of a United States tour.

A refugee turned activist, Joya is well-known for presenting a controversial address at the first meeting of Afghanistan's Parliament after her election in 2005. She issued the Afghan leaders a stinging rebuke, criticizing the presence of warlords, known as Mujahadeen, during deliberations to ratify the country's new constitution. During that speech, she maintained that several of the fundamentalist leaders present "are war criminals who should be put on trial instead of exerting influence on the formulation of the new constitution." The leaders reacted by pounding their fists on the tables and calling for her to be ousted from the proceedings, but the 40 women delegates present demanded that Joya remain and participate in the event.

Her courage to speak out has gained her many supporters, including Afghan men who agree with her but dare not say so publicly. It has also prompted numerous death threats and attempts on her life, warranting protection of United Nations staff. Despite numerous death threats, she says, "My voice won't be silenced."

Joya brought these views to the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus on March 13 as she addressed students from six professional schools about the current status of Afghan women, and health, government, and human rights in her war-torn country. During her presentation at the School of Social Work, Joya promoted the work of the Western Afghanistan Organization of Promoting Afghan Women's Capabilities, (OPAWC), a non-governmental organization that has provided health care, education, and income-generating opportunities for women in western Afghanistan since 1999.

She also discussed how the presence of the U.S. military has both helped and hindered the country's progress. "People have changed physically, but not mentally," she said. "They are all Taliban in different clothing, and they don't believe in democracy. I want to expose the drug lords and criminals who reduced Afghanistan to this mess-and use the little chance of democracy we now have."

The presentation was sponsored by the School of Social Work; the Center for Mental Health Services Research in the Department of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine; and the International Health Division, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine; also in the School of Medicine.