RAWA condemns Karzai for supporting ‘warlords’
The Nation, April 29, 2005

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

ISLAMABAD – Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) Thursday criticized Hamid Karzai and US government for supporting the warlords and asked the international community to help establish a democratic government.

They said this during a rally organized by the association “to denounce the gloomy day of April 28 that coincides with the 13th anniversary of the jehadi fundamentalist’s barbaric rule in Afghanistan.”

The participants of the rally were holding placards against the present government in Afghanistan and were holding the pictures of warlords including Ismail Khan, Qanooni, Mazari, Marshal Fahim, Dr. Abdullah, Dustom, Burhanuddin Rabbani, and Sayyaf, to portray their negative role, which they played in the decades.

The protesters changed slogans such as “we want democracy and democratic government in which there is no human violations and we want the basic human rights of women.”

Participants of the rally alleged that the Karzai government is fully supporting the warlords who are the real enemies of Afghanistan and main source of human violations.

They said that Karzai needs to bear in mind that he and his shaky government has no right to forgive such traitors and only the people have the right to decide what to do with heads of jehadies and Taliban.

Karzia and his circle have never experienced the panic of insults and atrocities of these criminals and their children and wives have never been humiliated by the fundamentalists, they added.

The participants criticized Western media for portraying peaceful image of Afghanistan while ignoring killing, looting, corruption, bribery, abduction, rape, drug cultivation, trafficking, wasting stealing of billions of dollars, unemployment and so many other miseries, which are very common. They said that it showed that the convenience government is incapable to tackle even smallest problems of our people.

Commenting about the law and order situation in Afghanistan, one of the participants said that the recent incident of stoning to death of Amina in Badakhshan province is a stigma on Karzai regime and his guardians that they repeatedly talk about “human rights” and “democracy” in Afghanistan but because of their wrong policies our women still face such inhuman and brutish punishments.

RAWA protests Karzai’s policies
Dawn, April 28, 2005

By Our Reporter

ISLAMABAD, April 28: The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) on Thursday held a demonstration outside the UN office to highlight plight of Afghans due to policies of President Hamid Karzai and the US government.

RAWA observes April 28 as black day every year to recall the coming into power of ‘fundamentalists’ in Afghanistan. About 300 protesters gathered in front of the UN office and chanted slogans against the US and President Karzai.

They also carried placards which read, ‘Taliban still in government’, ‘Down with Fundamentalism’ and ‘Criminals in Parliament’.

Comprising largely women, the protesters denounced president Karzai’s stance of supporting warlords and demanded their arrest.

They accused President Karzai of promoting US agenda in Afghanistan which denied Afghans their basic rights and freedom. Instead of being put on trial, the very same criminal warlords were appointed to key government posts, they said,

One of the leaders of the association said: “He (Mr. Karzai) is taking instructions from the US who needs the warlords for their own interests. We did have hopes in President Karzai but he has compromised on the rights of Afghan people.”

Warlords are still in power and the people of Afghanistan are not. There is no sign of genuine democracy with the warlords still around. We do not want the US to interfere, the RAWA member said.

The protesters were stopped about 50 meters from the gates of the Saudi-Pak tower where the UN office was situated by the police.

Only a handful were permitted to approach the gates where they presented their demand to UN Security Operations Officer Salman Khan who in return assured them that their message would be conveyed to the UN secretary general.

RAWA stages demo
against rights abuse in Afghanistan
The Statesman, April 28, 2005

ISLAMABAD: Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) Thursday stages a demonstration here against the injustice of the Afghan government with the women and the rights of women in Afghanistan.

A large number of women from different walks of life participated in the demonstration for the rights of women in the society.

The protests were carrying placards and banners in their hands and changed slogans against an un-Islamic law of Hadood Ordinance and banning of women on TV as we as Radio in Kabul.

They were demanding peace and secure atmosphere in the region and demanded UN to play its role in the peace and prosperity in the region.

We need the betterment in our country and want to live there freely, a representative of RAWA informed INP.

She said that they were trying there best to move in their country and wish to live a happy life there but this looks impossible due to poor conditions of the government.

She was of the view that the basic cause of holding this demonstration to show solidarity with the women of Afghanistan and to make the attention of the rest of the world to this part where the people are living in the fir and blood.

She went on to say UN is the only organization, which can play its role to stop the war of power among the high ups or the Afghanistan. “The people of the Afghanistan have realized that their country has been turned into chess board of world power once again, where the world powers don’t let to loose easily their key terrorist lackeys, upon who have invested for years”, she added.

Earlier the demonstrators presented a memorandum in the office of the United Nations in the regard. - INP