Glamour Awards Laud Afghan Woman
Praise was lavished on Salma Hayek for breaking down racial barriers in Hollywood and on Jenifer Estess for her commitment to raising funds and finding a cure for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), while battling the paralyzing disease herself.
But only one of the 14 honorees received a standing ovation at Monday night's ceremony: Tahmeena Faryal, a member of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan.
Presenter Mavis Leno, wife of TV talk-show host Jay Leno and an outspoken critic of Taliban suppression of women, said Faryal was risking her life by attending. Faryal said it would be a greater risk not to get RAWA's message out.
``I'm here in the name of tragedy that is Afghanistan,'' she told the audience.
Messing, who stars in the sitcom ``Will & Grace,'' said she was awed that she was included on the same list with Faryal, as well as Moira Smith and Yamel Merino, the only two female emergency workers killed during the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
NEW YORK (AP) - At Glamour magazine's Women of the Year awards, Diane Sawyer was hailed for her gutsiness and "whip-smarts" and Debra Messing for her sass and down-to-earth charm.
