Malalai Joya's speech in the International Conference "Stabilizing Afghanistan, challenges and solutions"

Malalai Joya speaking in the confernece in Holland

In the name of freedom and democracy!

I've been given only 10 minutes for this speech while I wanted to share many points with you so I have to go through only some of the most critical issues without any introduction.

The topic given for my presentation is "No stability without democratization", but let me overview the current process going on in Afghanistan to see if there is any sign of democratization in our crying Afghanistan.

Mr. Djallalzada presented the government side of the story but I think it does not worth to comment on his points because I don't want to be sided with the representative of a government which, in my view, does not have its own will and exactly talks with the language of the US government and acts according to directions and policies set by the White House.

There is no democratization in Afghanistan, the US and its allies are busy in warlordization, criminalization and drug-lordization of our wounded land. Values like democracy and human rights are only miss-used to betray our nation. How can we talk of democratization when our legislation, judicial and executive bodies are infected with the virus of fundamentalism and drug mafia?

The US government doesn't want a democratic Afghanistan, so it counts on its puppets who are anti-democracy and anti-women to the morrow of their bone. Today friends of the US in Afghanistan are dark-minded and criminal people like Rasol Sayyaf, Burhanuddin Rabbani, Qasim Fahim, Younis Qanoni, Ismael Khan, Mohaqiq, Karim Khalili, Noor-ul-haq Olumi, Mullah Salam Rocketi, Rashid Dostum, Fazil Hadi Shenwari, Sayed Mohammad Gulabzoy, Sarwar Danish and many more such evil men. Can we bring democracy when such dirty elements are real power holders and policy makers?

These people today pose as normal human-beings and even talk about democracy and human rights to deceive people. The US and its followers may name it "democratization", but for our people it is only mockery of democracy and treason to it.

In the past 3 decades, the US has supported, armed and nourished the most reactionary and dark-minded elements in Afghanistan and invested billions of $ on supporting fundamentalism, and after the 9/11 after removing the medieval-minded regime of the Taliban, brought the "Northern Alliance" back to power who are brothers-in-creed of the Taliban and as brutal and anti-democracy as Taliban and even worse.

Today, we have a mafia system in Afghanistan and our so-called government is deeply implicated by drug mafia and warlordism. US-supported Karzai and its westernized intellectuals have joint hands with the fundamentalists of any brand to impose this mafia-system on our people.

This is the main reason for today's problems and deadlock in Afghanistan, but media and western governments try to underestimate it and concentrate on second degree issues as main reasons for Afghanistan's crisis.

Afghan government is perhaps the most corrupt and unpopular in the world. Even Mr. Jalali, who is present here, during his ministry, announced to have a list of officials linked with drugs trafficking, but it is another painful joke with our unfortunate people that he never disclosed the names and until today the list is in his own pocket and he don't want to make it public, although our people know very well these names.

President Hamid Karzai instead of relying on people to bring the criminal warlords to trial, appoints these Jehadi, Taliban and former Parchami and Khaliqi criminals to higher posts, the in-charge of the country are those who have links to drugs smuggling, organized crime and illegal militias.

Under such rotten system, crime and brutality against our people are increasing everyday; there is no security and stability although tens of thousands of foreign troops are stationed there. Our people don't ask for food, shelter and cloths as their basic needs, they ask for security as their prime requirement. In the short time I can't go into the details of the horrible catastrophes our people are going through, but it will be suffice to say that it is a big shame on the forehead of Mr. Karzai and all of its international guardians that while they talk about "democratization", Afghanistan becomes norco-state and world's largest opium producer.

The USA is not concerned with the main cause behind terrorism in Afghanistan. That is why our people don't consider the US as "liberator" of our country. But what about other US allies such as Holland, Germany, UK, France, Italy etc.? Unfortunately all of these countries play a very passive role in Afghanistan, they are exactly following the footpath of the US and are in Afghanistan to realize and implement the US political, regional, economical and strategic interests. Therefore our people see all of the foreign troops in the same context.

I would like to ask the representatives of the Dutch, German and other governments present here if they can prove to act other than what is directed by the US? Can they prove to be in the side of our people and not our enemies? Can they prove that unlike the US, their government is supporting democracy in Afghanistan and have their independent view rather than following the Pentagon? Our people are sure that these governments will fail to prove the above points.

Recently Italy announced that Afghanistan's crisis has no military solution and we must go toward a political solution. This is exactly the language of Bush administration; it is the US policy to bring together all the terrorist bands of the Northern Alliance, Taliban and Islamic Party of Gulbuddin to complete the circle of fundamentalists so they jointly share the power under the US supervision and name it "political solution". What will happen to Afghan people under such situation? It is not the matter of concern for the US and its allies.

In such a climate when gun and force rules the country, the emergence of a powerful democratic alternative to combat fundamentalism is a very hard task, our democratic-minded forces and individuals are under constant pressure and not supported by any government or institution. I strongly believe that only a democratic force which has roots among people, can rescue Afghanistan from the dangerous path it is advancing.

Some people say that the West has forgotten Afghanistan for a long time which led to the current tragedy. But I wish the West had really forgotten Afghanistan and will forget it again, but this is not the case, the US and its allies did never forget Afghanistan for a minute, they for decades poured billions of $ in the pockets of fundamentalists to make them such powerful, and today this process still continues. If the West forget Afghanistan, meaning discontinue it support to our enemies, they will not be in a position to hijack and brutalize the whole nation, only then a democratic movement can breath and our people will be in a position to challenge their enemies.

You may say that West donated billions of $ in the past few years for Afghan people. But even Afghan children have realized that this money was not spent for the benefit of our people at all. In the most corrupt government of the world and the warlords as its officials, the existence of hundreds of corrupt NGOs, majority of which are linked to the fundamentalists, this money was channeled to even more empower the enemies of our people.

A country which has received 12 billion dollars aid, still stands 175th out of 177 countries of the UN Human Development Index, and according to official figures 700 children and 50-70 women die on daily basis due to the lack of health services, up to 1,900 women out of 100,000 die during childbirth, only 2% of its people have electricity, 6 million people are in the verge of starvation, 80% don't have access to drinking water, 65% of the 50,000 widows in Kabul see suicide the only option to get rid of their miseries and immolation rate among women is much higher then the Taliban era, 40% of its workforce is unemployed and a gross-majority is living bellow the poverty and this list can be prolonged. Recently the UN Security Council mission to Afghanistan warned that it can be a fail state if not supported.

Some officials, observers and analysts may suggest more funds for Afghanistan as a tool to get ride of the current situation, but as I explained above more money will only widen the gap between rich and poor and add to the wealth of the warlords and corrupt officials and NGOs. Sending funds to Afghanistan will be useless if it is not carefully and honestly monitored to make sure it benefits the poor people.

Dear friends,

It is a fact that no nation can donate liberation to another nation. Liberation is not money to be donated; it should be achieved in a country by the people themselves. People of other countries only can give us a helping hand and support.

I think especially European countries could play a great role if they release themselves from the gap of the US policy. If these governments really want to help Afghan people and bring positive changes, they must align their policies according to the aspirations and wishes of Afghan people, rather than becoming a tool to implement the wrong policies of the US government. Only by such policy, they can gain people's trust.

All peace-loving countries must support democratic-minded individuals and groups in Afghanistan. This is the only correct policy that can help Afghan people and guarantee a bright future for Afghan people.

I have strong faith that a powerful democratic movement will get shape from among the current anarchy situation, because brutalities against people will defiantly provoke their anger and opposition which can be fruitful only in the form of a democratic anti-fundamentalist movement. The help of people of other countries can speed up this process. Afghan people shake the hands of any people who truly want to help them and raise their voice against criminals-fostering actions of the US and its allies.