At a time when the peoples of the world are celebrating 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the people of Afghanistan and in particular the agonised women of Afghanistan are being brutalised in the most tragically inhuman conditions. Afghan women are deprived of the most basic human rights. The Taliban with their ultra-reactionary mentality have so savagely assaulted the rights and the most private aspects of the life of our people that no parallel or equivalent can be found in any Muslim or non-Muslim country in the world. These creatures from the dark ages have brought to perfection the misogyny, the compulsion for the suppression of liberty, the penchant for carnage and looting, and the psychopathic urge to insult and humiliate the people that was the hallmarks of their Jihadi brethren-in-creed. The total disfranchisement of women of the very elementary human rights is their masterpiece. Afghanistan in the flames of Taliban ignorance and infamy has become a roaring inferno. Marking December 10 as International Human Rights Day by the world community and human rights organisations would be meaningless without unequivocal condemnation of the Taliban who deride the civilised concept of Human Rights.

For the purpose of relaying the anguished cry of Afghan women to the ears of the world community and exposing the repulsive features of Islamic fundamentalists and crimes committed by the Taliban, RAWA has staged this present sit-in and hereby proclaims its confirmed belief and principled position on the following points:

1. With their rabid misogynous, anti-democracy, and science- and culture-hating mentality; with their utter disregard for civilised principles of political and legal liberties; and with their chauvinistic and fascistic attitudes, the Taliban are in no way significantly different from their Jihadi brethren. They are but two sides of the same coin. Treating the likes of Rabbani, Masoud, Hekmatyar, Sayyaf, Akbari, Khalili, Dostum or any other hangmen as the lesser evil as compared with the Taliban is a cruel insult to our devastated people who have suffered enough under the whips and knives of Islamic fundamentalists of all hues and colours. The heinous genocide of the Taliban against thousands of our Hazara compatriots in Mazar-i-Sharif and the tens of other massacres conducted by Rabbani & Co. provide ample reason for wanting them brought to justice by the world community as criminals of the most savage calibre.

2. The Jihadis and the Taliban will never be able to bring peace and happiness to our people. The Taliban phenomenon is doomed to dismal failure because like their Jihadi brothers they do not enjoy the support of the people and have achieved whatever successes they have through alien patronage. 3. Inhuman punishments such as stoning to death, amputation of hands and feet, public lashings and executions in the name of Islam and Sharia law without any form of fair trial are the nefarious products of the Taliban regime which will very soon bring about widespread popular insurrections. The recent student protests and uprising in Jalalabad -which was brought down in blood- will in no way be the first and last of its kind. The Khalqi and Parchami arch-traitors and the Jihadi criminals could not restrain popular uprisings against them. The Taliban tyranny will do no better.

4. The "kufr" (infidelity) and "un-Islamic" labels stamped by the Taliban on values such as democracy and universally accepted human rights and liberties shall never be able to prevent our people's strivings for liberty and democracy. This the Jihadi murderers found out at their cost.

5. The Taliban domination over a large portion of our country can in no way be a guarantee of peace and security in our ravaged land. Alien countries working through their indigenous hirelings are the fire-stokers of the current civil war in Afghanistan and are in no way prepared to let go such a prize and allow the investment of years of agent-training and lackey-breeding to go down the drain.

6. We unreservedly condemn any and all financial or military assistance or any other form of backing and support given by Iran, Pakistan, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Uzbekistan or any other country to the Taliban or to the Jihadi miscreants. Any such assistance, backing or support will signify the hypocrisy and enmity of the rulers of such countries in regard to the oppressed people of Afghanistan.

7. The confrontation between the Taliban and Iran is a reflection of the antagonisms between the regional masters and leash-holders of the Taliban and the Jihadis who want to prop up their respective beasts. Iran sees its bet at a disadvantage and is sparing no effort to keep it going. To this end it is not only giving support to Rabbani, Masoud and Khalili, but is even grooming the likes of Hekmatyar. It devolves upon the peoples and liberation forces of Iran and Afghanistan to transform any eventual war between the Taliban and the Iranian regime into a devastating insurrection against both criminal dispensations.

8. Afghan women fighting for freedom can only break the shameful Taliban and Jihadi chains through decisive and irreconcilable struggle side by side with men freedom-fighters. Only thus can they attain emancipation and human and democratic rights. Despite being under enemy fire from all sides, RAWA will continue to shoulder the banner of struggle against Taliban and Jihadi traitors to the very last and without the slightest capitulation.

9. Efforts by the United Nations Organisation or any other international body for the restoration of peace in Afghanistan will be in vain and of no value to the people of Afghanistan unless they stipulate total disarmament and identification and persecution of hotbeds of belligerent fundamentalism. We reiterate that any peace initiative in Afghanistan based on bringing Jihadi and Taliban criminals together will signify nothing but contemptuous disdain for our grieving people.

10. For the formation of a free, independent and democratic Afghanistan the joint striving and struggle of pro-liberty and democratic forces is indispensable. This objective can only be achieved through relentless struggle, not through compromise and capitulation. It devolves on all pro-democracy forces to de-mask miscreant capitulationist intelligentsia pandering to the Taliban and the Jihadis. The shameful spot of religious terrorists besmirching the name of our beloved motherland can be cleansed through willingness to give sacrifice for the formation of a broad anti-fundamentalist front against all forms of reaction.

11. We declare our unequivocal and unreserved support and solidarity with the struggles of the people and the pro-democracy and progressive forces of Iran, Palestine, Kashmir, Kurdistan, Sudan and other fettered peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America fighting for their rights against reactionary and anti-liberty states and powers.

12. The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan asks all pro-liberty and pro-democracy organisations in Pakistan and in other countries to raise their voice of protest against the tragic human rights situation on Afghanistan, in particular the plight of captive and grieving Afghan women ever louder and clearer, and to express their solidarity with our agonised people through whatever means possible.

• Neither Jihadis nor Taliban, power to the people of Afghanistan!
• Struggle for freedom and democracy is the only path to emancipation from the clutches of savage fundamentalists!
• Long live freedom and democracy!