RAWA gets French human rights award
The Frontier Post, April 16, 2000
By Syed Bukhar Shah
PESHAWAR- In a ceremony at the residence of Jean Berthault, in charge of Afghanistan affairs at French Embassy, the National Assembly of France through National Advisory Commission on Human Rights granted the Human Rights Award to the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan on Saturday.
The France Ambassador to Pakistan, Yannick Gerard was also present on the occasion. In a brief chat with The Frontier Post, he appreciated the role of RAWA, saying that he was here for moral support. The function beside the members of RAWA in Islamabad was also attended by its activists from Peshawar and Quetta. An old lady, and founding member of RAWA received the award on behalf of RAWA.
Speaking on the occasion, the mother of Zemaray, with tears in her eyes thanked the French government and nation, said: "I hope that France prosecute Gulbaddin Hekmatyar and other Jehadi and Taliban leaders as the murderers of our people. Though RAWA is given the prize, but till the murderers of my sons and the butchers of my nation have not been brought to justice, I will not be satisfied. All those who lost their lives by inhuman fundamentalists are my sons", she added. She claimed that her eight sons have been kidnapped and killed by Gulbaddin.
Awarding the prize, Jean Berthault appreciated RAWA's activities and struggle for democracy, freedom and human rights. In his brief speech, he said this was first award, which his country had granted to RAWA, after some African NGOs. He said the people of Afghanistan, particularly the women were living in extremely bad condition under the Taiban rule. Without giving the women education, he said Afghanistan would have no future. He desired a peaceful Afghanistan and an end to the plight of the people of Afghanistan.
Two others ageing Afghan ladies, one of whom has lost four sons and the other two, were satisfied with the award and thanked the French government and nation for recognizing their services, saying this was the first time that a country in the West has paid attention to a democratic organization in Afghanistan. Reiterating their commitment to continue their struggle till the achievement of their goal they said, they could not be pressurised by threats of life and other slogans.
Sohaila, another activist pointed out that it was a fine opportunity for her organization to share the cry of thousands of mourning and bleeding Afghan Women with the world. Women who are being crushed by the most savage regime of our day, a regime which is striking our desperate women mentally and physically with such blows without example either during the Russian regime or at any time in the past. Human rights and women's rights in particular have been violated at different levels by different regimes. However, in today's ill-fated Afghanistan there is not a single trace of human rights and women's rights but a distant memory in the past eight years.
She continued, "The shameless brothers of the Taliban and Jehadis in Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Algeria have even trembled a bit because of what the Afghan fundamentalists have done and are doing to women. Where has it been seen that while shouting Allah-o-Akbar they rape 70-year old mothers and fathers' and seven years old young girls? Where has it been seen that after raping pregnant women, the armed Islamic warlords wait before the traumatized women for the delivery of "their" babies?.. Who has seen that hundreds of young girls are committing suicide as their only hope of safety from abduction and raping by fundamentalists?
She said that the world knew that 99 per cent of Afghan women were bereaved. "Our hearts are stained with the remorse of humiliation and insults against us, lashing us publicly, bleeding us white and snatching us away from our lands and men and dragging us into beggary and prostitution."
Do the UN and the West want to replace the Taliban and impose the Jehadics on our people? I the UN or the West is really interested in solving the problems of Afghanistan, they must impose strict sanctions on the countries that continue to support the Taliban and their Jehadi rivals with arms and money," she added.
Her organization, she said demanded from France to deal with the Afghan fundamentalists, without giving any of them her recognition or any assistance and put pressurize on the UN to impose sanctions not only on the Taliban but on the Jehadi traitors as well. "By doing so, France grants the greatest prize not only to RAWA but to the people of Afghanistan as a whole. By awarding the prize to RAWA, the France will be the first country, which will raise its voice for democracy and human rights in Afghanistan.
RAWA receives French human rights award
The News International, April 16, 2000
ISLAMABAD: The French National Assembly in cooperation with the National Advisory Commission on Human Rights has awarded human rights prize to RAWA, Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, a NGO working for democratic rights in Afghanistan, says a press release.
A special function was organized by M Jean Berthault of the French Embassy on Saturday to confer the award.
Mother Zemaray, a bereaved woman whose eight sons have been killed in Afghanistan received the prize on behalf of RAWA.-PR
RAWA gets HR prize
NNI, April 16, 2000
ISLAMABAD (NNI): French National Assembly has awarded Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) a human rights prize.
According to a RAWA statement, the prize-giving ceremony was held at the residence of Jean Berthault, incharge of Afghanistan affairs at French Embassy.
French National Assembly of France through National Advisory Commission on Human Rights, granted RAWA the prize for human rights. "It is almost the first time that a country in the West paid attention to a democratic organization in Afghanistan," it said.
On behalf of RAWA, Mother Zemaray received the prize. The statement said that Zemaray lost her eight sons were allegedly kidnapped and killed at the hands of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
She said "expressing my heartfelt thanks to the French government and nation, I hope that France prosecute Gulbuddin and the Taliban leaders as the murderers of our people."
"Though RAWA is given the prize, but till the murderers of my sons and the butchers of my nation have not been brought to justice I will not be satisfied. All those who lost their lives by inhuman fundamentalists are my sons," she said.
Jean Berthault said, "this is very important because the medal that is going to be give to you is coming from the Committee for the Human Rights that is composed of very important people. RAWA got a special mention with medal in order to illustrate the importance of its action. The work of RAWA is extremely important because nowadays in Afghanistan we are in a situation where the women are deprived of any access to education, health and so on.
"In the last 22-years we have been witnessing a terrible war in Afghanistan and the result of this ware has been that the field of education particularly has been entirely destroyed. Every body knows and acknowledges the importance of women in order to promote the future generation and this is the main reason why RAWA has been given this award."
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