According to a spokesman for the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), the oldest feminist Afghan group, and the only Afghan group to join the worldwide antiwar movement, the US has NOT "liberated" Afghanistan:

"The people of the world should know that although the despicable and oppressive rule of the Taliban is over in our ill-fated Afghanistan, this does not mean the end to hardship for our tortured nation. It is painful to hear some Western leaders and media speak frequently about the 'liberation' of Afghanistan. Contrary to the aspirations of our people and the expectations of the world community, the Northern Alliance, these brethren-in-creed of the Taliban, are once again in power and are generously supported by the US government. In fact, by reinstalling the warlords in Afghanistan, the US is ultimately replacing one fundamentalist regime with another. The Northern Alliance is nothing but a fragile coalition of bandits with a long list of crimes and brutalities.

"The Taliban have been severely criticized as the most brutal rulers in view of their actions against women, but the media has not given much coverage to the anti-women values and atrocities of the Northern Alliance, who were the first to impose misogynistic rules on our women.

"The US war has not brought any significant positive changes to our country. It is crystal clear that the US did not enter Afghanistan to liberate its people, but to punish its own wayward creations – Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. Because of our unambiguous comments on these matters, some people call us 'anti-American.' However, we love the people of America and greatly appreciate their humanitarianism, their generous financial help and their heart-warming moral support. As is the case for many peoples and countries in the world, there is a difference between the US people and the US government.

"The work of RAWA is even more difficult inside Afghanistan in such a climate. We cannot even sell our publications openly and those who are caught reading or selling them are threatened and tortured. No serious anti-fundamentalist women's organization can operate openly in today's Afghanistan."

(Excerpted from a speech of RAWA member, Brussels, May 16^th 2003.)

CONTACT:

Sonali Kolhatkar (626) 676-7884