As a result of the Military coup d'état led by Mr. Daud Khan, the kingdom changed to the Republic of Afghanistan in 1963. At that time I was not more than 19 years old. Sardar Mohd Daud Khan was a national and patriotic personality who wanted to lead Afghanistan toward development with his short-term (5 years) and his long-term (20 years) development plans. Unfortunately, there were some people dependent on USSR in his team who were taking orders directly from the USSR. They were working for the intelligence services of USSR and were also reporting on martyred Sardar Mohd Daud Khan’s national work plans back to Moscow. These people took advantage of Sardar Mohad Daud Khan’s government and wanted to kill the influential people, scholars, religious leaders, national personalities, patriots and democrats without informing Sardar Mohd Daud Khan. Late Daud Khan was trying to get closer to the Islamic world and the west and slowly introduced his government. He prepared his work plans and for this purpose he made several visits abroad with hopes of bringing Afghanistan to the level of developed countries with regard to democracy and reconstruction.

Following his visits President Daud Khan traveled to Moscow and met with the USSR President Mr. Brezhnev who complained about his close relations with Islamic and Western Countries. Daud Khan gave him a straightforward answer and it is believed that it was this that caused his death. Very soon after his trip to Moscow, people loyal to Moscow staged a coup d'état and as a result, President Daud, along with his 16 family members were martyred. This marked the beginning of the dark and difficult days for Afghans and Afghanistan.

Afghans are patriotic and they opposed the new government staging a nation-wide uprising against the communist regime of Noor Mohad Taraki. This uprising turned into a global movement and spread across the whole country. As the result, USSR attacked Afghanistan and occupied it with its 120,000-strong soldiers of its Red Army. USSR’s puppet government began its rule of the people of Afghanistan. They ignored our religious and national values. They initiated the dancing of women in the parks and villages. At that time thousands of our people were killed or put in prisons. The government banned people from going to the mosques or listening to the BBC, the Voice of America and other radio broadcasts. Also, to brainwash the kids, they sent 50,000 Afghan children, boys and girls, to the USSR only to return home after learning the Marxist ideology. It was also one of the reasons for the national revolt and Jihad against the puppet government of USSR. It was at this time that the people’s migration to neighboring countries began. A number of people migrated to western countries. About two million Afghans took refuge in Iran and three million Afghans migrated to Pakistan. As I witnessed thousands of Afghans migrating to Pakistan, I strove to find a way to protect our refugees and based on this aim, I began my work. At the same time I was also a student and a mother trying to properly care for my child.

For ten years we fought to defeat the USSR army and we kept the western world informed of the tragedies the Afghans were enduring. We asked them to help us. As a result of Afghan men and women’s faith, resistance and the sacrifice of two million martyrs, finally the USSR failed and left Afghanistan. Afghan God-loving Mujahid and freedom-loving women tolerated a lot of difficulties during the war against the USSR and they were looking forward to the outcome of their holy war. When the USSR forces were expelled from Afghanistan, there was no solidarity among the Afghans for building a national system with pillars from democracy. Also, the west left Afghanistan after the defeat of the USSR. As a result, neighboring elements and some of the enemies of Islam and Afghanistan provided the fighting groups with weapons and money. They made the historical city of Kabul the war battle zone for those who were thirsty for power.

Answer:

Afghanistan Women Council (AWC) was established in a very fanatic Islamic environment of the North West Frontier province of Pakistan. Its purpose is was to improve the living standards of Afghan women and children refugees, to give them economic, health, and educational support and to inform the people of the world of the plight of Afghan Refugees, including the USSR’s oppression. The concept was to establish a women’s organization to improve performance. Therefore, a group of patriotic Afghan women who were working under AWC which was not yet registered in 1986 and led by Madam Gailani came together and officially established and announced the existence of Afghanistan Women Council in 1993. It was soon registered as a non-governmental, non-political, non-sectarian charity organization with the Government of Pakistan. AWC strives to raise women’s awareness on human tights, women’s rights, refugee rights, and children’s rights since its establishment and has since received five international awards in this regard.

AWC always did its best to foster pride in Afghans and always motivated them to be protective of their land and national values. Also, AWC tried to differentiate the real Afghan identity and introduce it to the world with validity. This was not easy for an Afghan refugee woman who had no support except for her faith and her love for her holy land. We, with the strength of our beliefs and the hope to one day see our children who currently live in scorching hillside and desert NWFP refugee camps be able to stand proudly and be willing to serve their people.

AWC provided quality educational, health, skills training and relief projects for the newly arrived Afghan Refugees in the areas across the Afghan boarder, working without pay for12 hours a day. AWC supported cultural affairs by creating an Afghan women monthly publication, named “Zan e Afghan” (Afghan Women), which reflected women’s issues, violations of human rights and women’s rights and informed the international community. AWC held seminars, workshops and round table meetings and participated in international gatherings to reflect Afghan issues especially women’s issues. AWC has brought these issues before the international community ever since its establishment. This non-stop struggle was not easy for us because the international community, the western world, neighboring countries and the human rights organizations were not listening to us.

While we were conducting interviews on the radio and TV and participating at the international conferences and raising our voices, we were putting our lives at risk. We were repeatedly threatened with death. However, in order to regain our lost respect and our legal rights and benefits we were willing to struggle with the full power of our faith without any fear. We had the strong support of our people and we have that now. This is our pride.

After the collapse of the regime in Afghanistan in 1992, AWC established a mother and child health clinic in Shahr e Naw Kabul which was active until the end of the Taliban. It was the only health center run by women. After the destructive internal fighting during the Taliban’s period, AWC moved to Afghanistan and began its work with the most vulnerable victims of the long years of imposed war, the widows.

AWC is an independent organization that strives for capacity building of Afghan Women via the establishment of its awareness courses in basic education, skills training, trade, business and Micro-Finance in Kabul, Parwan, Kandahar and Jalalabad. It also has plans to expand its program to the other provinces to support the most vulnerable women and their children. In the above-mentioned training centers, basic education, health education, and psychosocial counseling are offered. Human, women’s and children’s rights awareness are also stressed. Peace- building, protection from various harsh experiences and rights supported by Islam are promoted. Women’s rights from the view of the Quran are taught to encourage mutual respect between men and women. Character education for children and how to be self sufficient are important themes. AWC offers business training and marketing to women and then gives them small loans to allow them to support their families. 6000 women are now under its Micro-Finance Program.

All Afghans are facing major political, economic, and security problems. Security is so bad that when we leave our homes we do not expect to return back alive. Now, because of the poor security around the country, most of the people do not obtain election ballots. Many women do not feel safe and feel compelled to again use a Burqa or Chadar. Because the hijacking and rape violations threaten women so, most of the men do not permit their women to leave home. In most of the provinces women do not have any role in the Provincial Councils. The security and economic situation of our people is horrific. These are the two most important issues facing Afghans. Afghan women, although supported in the media, have received negligible support. In the faraway districts and villages no one hears about the situation facing women. They have no food. Their houses are searched by foreign troops and their dogs. Their male family members leave the house and may be killed or put in prison. This is occurring in about 16 provinces of Afghanistan which covers half of the country now under control of the Taliban. We are sorry to say that NATO and coalition forces while having advanced weapons and modern military facilities have been unable to bring peace to Afghanistan. Instead they made it worse

AWC tries its best to contact the local and international media to reveal the Afghan situation to the world, especially the Americans and the British, but no one listens to us. Just as they failed listen to us after the withdrawal of the USSR from Afghanistan, they are again failing to listen to the women of Afghanistan. The government in general and the governors in particular do not have any programs for the empowerment of women. Whenever we offer recommendations, they ignore us. The Kandahar Governor, especially, does not have any kind of cooperation with our organization in such a critical area. The government gets upset with our legal suggestions and even when we meet with high ranking officials they turn away from us.

I correctly remember the days when I spoke to our western friends in seminars and workshops in various countries. We informed them of the interference of some of the countries in Afghanistan’s issues; fast expansion of poppy cultivation, and stepped up training and expansion of terrorist bases. Our innocent children are being trained as terrorists and these terrorist were supported by some very important people who are the high ranking officials in the present administration. We asked them to help Afghans to have peace and democracy but the only response we heard was that, it is the internal issue of Afghans and they should solve it in negotiation with the Taliban.

During the Taliban time, men and women were captive but there were some women running schools inside their houses and most of such houses were searched by the Taliban. Women told them that they were teaching prayers and using religious books. Music was prohibited. If someone was found with cassettes they were punished in public. At that time Afghanistan was occupied by Al-Qaida and hunger, drought and poverty were rampant around the country. The regular migration of people to everywhere from Afghanistan was continual. Women were kept captive and had no choice to go to work, go out of the home or do anything, even to go out. They needed a family member to accompany them. I was one of those who participated in international conferences and informed the world’s people of what was going on in Afghanistan. I was on the list to be assassinated by the Taliban, and Mr. Ahmad Shah Masood informed me for the first time to be careful. There is a letter sent by Amnesty International USA to General Musharaf, the former president of Pakistan to take care of my security.

AWC is clearly defending its people’s rights, especially women’s rights, and ask the people of the world for support in establishing peace in Afghanistan. It has been about 30 years that war has been going on in Afghanistan and Afghans are very tired of it and growing hopeless that it will ever end. Therefore, our suggestion to the international community is to kindly work to ensure peace in this country because we hate war and want it to end. We are interested promoting friendship with western countries and ask them to help us build peace in our country. In our opinion the only way for the east and west to live in peace is to work for peace and let our generations know of our heroic work.