The Bitter Reality of Afghanistan – with Malalai Joya

The Bitter Reality of Afghanistan – with Malalai Joya

Behold the effect of white phosphorus bombing on a young girl’s skin. Afghan lawmaker Obaidullah Helali, who headed a delegation investigating this massacre from US bombing in the western province of Farah, confirmed that it took the lives of 95 children.

The talk from Malalai Joya was recently hosted in Sydney by Pip Hinman on behalf of the Stop The War Coalition and chaired by Kellie Tranter, lawyer and human rights activist. The visual material comes mainly from Malalai, with a few additions, notably from rawa.org, site of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan.

I had to go digging on RAWA and elsewhere when Malalai started talking about things that weren’t illustrated in her slides. While searching, I came upon another “slideshow” of 76 photos, published here by The Week on May 2, 2012. Flicking through them, I began counting the female faces. There was only one; that of Hillary Clinton.

Malalai Joya presents Afghanistan in stark contrast, from a woman’s and a child’s perspective, while digging deep into the issues of opium, corruption and bribery.

"My country hasn't been liberated: it's still under the warlords' control, and Nato occupation only reinforces their power." Malalai Joya

Behold the effects of white phosphorous bombing on a young girl's skin. Farrah Province, Afghanistan, May 2009

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LINKS

Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA)
rawa.org
facebook.com/RAWA.Afghanistan
youtube.com/rawa77
twitter.com/rawa77

Social Association of Afghan Justice-Seekers (SAAJS)
saajs.org
facebook.com/social.association
youtube.com/afghanwarcrimes

Solidarity Party of Afghanistan
hambastagi.org/new
facebook.com/Afghanistan.Solidarity.Party
youtube.com/AfghanSolidarity

Stop the War Coalition, Sydney
www.stopwarcoalition.org