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Afghan leader accused of bid to 'legalise rape'

UN and women MPs say Karzai bowed to Islamic fundamentalists before poll

By Jerome Starkey in Kabul

Afghan women wearing burqas. Critics say President Hamid Karzai rushed through discriminatory legislation to appease fundamentalists

AFP/Getty Images

Afghan women wearing burqas. Critics say President Hamid Karzai rushed through discriminatory legislation to appease fundamentalists

Afghanistan's President, Hamid Karzai, has signed a law which "legalises" rape, women's groups and the United Nations warn. Critics claim the president helped rush the bill through parliament in a bid to appease Islamic fundamentalists ahead of elections in August.

In a massive blow for women's rights, the new Shia Family Law negates the need for sexual consent between married couples, tacitly approves child marriage and restricts a woman's right to leave the home, according to UN papers seen by The Independent.

"It is one of the worst bills passed by the parliament this century," fumed Shinkai Karokhail, a woman MP who campaigned against the legislation. "It is totally against women's rights. This law makes women more vulnerable."

The law regulates personal matters like marriage, divorce, inheritance and sexual relations among Afghanistan's minority Shia community. "It's about votes," Ms Karokhail added. "Karzai is in a hurry to appease the Shia because the elections are on the way."

The provisions are reminiscent of the hardline Taliban regime, which banned women from leaving their homes without a male relative. But in a sign of Afghanistan's faltering steps towards gender equality, politicians who opposed it have been threatened.

"There are moderate views among the Shia, but unfortunately our MPs, the people who draft the laws, rely on extremists," Ms Karokhail said.

The bill lay dormant for more than a year, but in February it was rushed through parliament as President Karzai sought allies in a constitutional row over the upcoming election. Senator Humeira Namati claimed it wasn't even read out in the Upper House, let alone debated, before it was passed to the Supreme Court. "They accused me of being an unbeliever," she said.

Details of the law emerged after Mr Karzai was endorsed by Afghanistan's Supreme Court to stay in power until elections scheduled in August. Some MPs claimed President Karzai was under pressure from Iran, which maintains a close relationship with Afghanistan's Shias. The most controversial parts of the law deal explicitly with sexual relations. Article 132 requires women to obey their husband's sexual demands and stipulates that a man can expect to have sex with his wife at least "once every four nights" when travelling, unless they are ill. The law also gives men preferential inheritance rights, easier access to divorce, and priority in court.

A report by the United Nations Development Fund for Women, Unifem, warned: "Article 132 legalises the rape of a wife by her husband".

Most of Afghanistan's Shias are ethnic Hazaras, descended from Genghis Khan's Mongol army which swept through the entire region around 700 years ago. They are Afghanistan's third largest ethnic group, and potential kingmakers, because their leaders will likely back a mainstream candidate.

Even the law's sponsors admit Mr Karzai rushed it through to win their votes. Ustad Mohammad Akbari, a prominent Shia political leader, said: "It's electioneering. Most of the Hazara people are unhappy with Mr Karzai."

A British Embassy spokesman said diplomats had raised concerns "at a senior level".

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Comments

Worse to come
[info]kodak321 wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 12:05 am (UTC)
I suppose, this one will be America's fault, again. Radical Islam is the greatest threat to World stability. Wake up....but you won't, will you?
Re: Worse to come
[info]jonny_socialist wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 02:57 pm (UTC)
Cos radical Christianity is fine isnt it? Theres no difference between islamic fundamentalists and christian ones except people like Bush had a lot more resources. That makes the christian ones more likely to destabilise the world.
Re: Worse to come
[info]efnc wrote:
Thursday, 2 April 2009 at 01:13 pm (UTC)
George Bush is not a reactionary fundamentalist like Osama Bin Laden or Ayman Al-Zawahiri. Nor is he a radical, for that matter.

Theres no difference between islamic fundamentalists and christian ones

I can't remember the last time I heard about the Catholic Church strapping suicide vests to bishops.
Re: Worse to come
[info]alsoamazed wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 08:19 pm (UTC)
kdak321,you are such a marvel to humanity with your astute analyses.We,in the US,have accepted such diatribe by neo-connish, narrow minded , political and religious fundumentalists for a very long and tortuous Bush/Chenney eight years.Our judio/christian civilization has committed ,and still are committing, worse crimes pointedly.All in the name of our Judio/christian teachings. If you get off your low level intellectual horse ,and take an honest to goodness course in comparative religion, your puny brains might expand and even be shocked by the discovery that all the world's five main religions do prohibit,in clear words, such actions. Throughout history,it has never been the religion per se that did the act. It has been men,and yes bad men, who in the name of their philosophy acted in an immaginable way.And you,my fellow human animal is one of them. However ,instead of doing the act with your own hands,you urge it with your own limited intellect by blowing your targets with poisonous words. May whoever or whatever you believe in open you mind and heart and guide you into more knowledge and wisdom.
And we put them in power...
[info]tonytea wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 12:07 am (UTC)
Well, bring back the Russians - when I worked in Afghanistan in the Taliban time it was tough for women - but at least they knew that the West was there to support them and that there was a moral pressure to condemn what was happening - now Britain and the US has legitimised the same level of oppression as under the Taliban and it's done on our taxes!

Sick...
Titty
[info]kodak321 wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 01:08 am (UTC)
Tony tit. So you were there...when the Russians occupied. Taliban? Are you sure? Titty, just grow up and go to bed. Pakistan and Saudia Arabia? ......why do you want to destroy your own. Wake up. You're a traitor. Perhaps, an Islamic form of punishment....for you....
Off with Karzai's Head!
[info]violetsmart wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 01:59 am (UTC)
I keep reading this item again and again because I cannot believe what Karzai is willing to do to the women of Afghanistan in order to win the elections. It's horrendous!

But as women can vote in Afghanistan, I sincerely hope that they off Karzai's head at the polls!
Re: Off with Karzai's Head!
[info]artemis_viking wrote:
Wednesday, 1 April 2009 at 10:35 am (UTC)
if their husbands allow them out of the house to cast their votes.....
a feel good reason to go kill more afghanis
[info]voodoojedizin wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 02:56 am (UTC)
Here we all are going after Afghanistan again can't you find any other country to pick on.

What about Saudi Arabia they're not the best at treating their women or Kuwait or several other Arabic countries.

But why stop there why don't we move over to America where the Mormons think they can have all the women they want for wives starting at age 16. And they're not even connected to radical Islam. Their white and there Americans.

And of course we need to stop and ask the pope about all those choirboys that walk funny after a good catholic preaching. And how many nuns have babies.

Or we could travel to India and watch the Hindu believers stoning women that go into a bar or celebrate Valentine's Day.

Or we could travel to Israel, where prostitution is legal and they have the highest European female smuggling statistics.

Or we could stay in Europe where billions of dollars are spent on pornography which some people say is exploitation of women.

Don't you think the protection of women and their rights and dignity should start at home. With equal pay, no sexual discrimination on the job, and a list of other things.

Think to yourself what you keep reading all kinds of propaganda about Afghanistan?

Ex President Bush lied to the world about Iraq right along with Tony Blair so why do you believe anything these two countries have said about Afghanistan?

I'm not saying they don't treat their women like crap, what I'm asking is why we're reading about it almost on a daily basis?

Answer propaganda to give us a feel good reason to go kill more afghanis. We'll move on to Pakistan next take care their problems. And then we'll move on to?
Re: a feel good reason to go kill more afghanis
[info]oshtyk wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 07:22 pm (UTC)
Point taken, that sexual abuse and more so discrimination against women happen in the West and everywhere in the world. However one can't overstate an urgency of this law, as it strips women of the rights granted them by Afghan Constitution - equity before the law, access to work, protection against rape, due process for divorce, custody right for children until they reach a certain age.

This is a very scary development for women in Afghanistan, especially in light of talks about negotiating with Taleban. Because any negotiations will automatically come at a high price for women's rights and liberties, however non-existent they are already for Afhgan women.
Re: a feel good reason to go kill more afghanis
[info]jstnearthling wrote:
Thursday, 23 April 2009 at 09:10 pm (UTC)
Voodoo is absolutely correct. There is no division in any of the major religions. If you read the bible leviticus tells you that god commands you kill one who works on the sabbath!!!!

So like voodoo says people,open your eyes and see the reality of the insanity of religious philosophy interpreted by men. Well, actually all religion is a man made phenomenon anyway. All religions are cults, yes ALL religions.
[info]patriciapj wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 08:05 am (UTC)
Why on earth didn't Josef Frietzl live in Afghanistan?
what a joke !!
[info]ebbi581 wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 08:09 am (UTC)
afghanistan was freed of taliban!!!! oh really? and who is in charge now?? the people are better off now? with which standards and who claims that?? this is yet another proof that islam is not compatible with human rights and equal rights . it is an extremely voilent and backwarded and an insult to civilization. women deserve to be treated better , its their right and anything less is considered as crime against humanity.
Karzai caves in to "Northern Alliance" serial rapist warlords
[info]findempire wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 09:15 am (UTC)
The insinuation that it's the pro-Taliban Islamic fundamentalists who are behind the bill is a travesty of the truth. The Afghan womens' association RAWA has been reporting for years how Karzai-connected northern warlords have been raping women with total impunity. It's the US invasion that brought these narco-bandit-warlord-serial-rapists to power and Obama's "surge" is aimed at maintaining their criminal rule. If the Taliban control 75% of Afghanistan today it's because the people prefer their oppressive but effective rule of Islamic law to the Mad Max world of bribery, robbery, rape, kidnapping, and murder in the Karzai-controlled parts of the country.

Here's a glimpse of the plight of Afghan women in the hands of Karzai's warlords:


Afghan President pardons men convicted of bayonet gang rape


Sara?s case highlights concerns about the close relationship between the Afghan president and men accused of war crimes and human rights abuses.

By Kate Clark in Kabul

The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, has pardoned three men who had been found guilty of gang raping a woman in the northern province of Samangan.
[. . .]
The MP, Mir Ahmad Joyenda, said cases similar to Sara?s were actually becoming more common. The police and the courts, he said, were usually under the sway of local commanders. "The commanders, the war criminals, still have armed groups," he said. "They?re in the government. Karzai, the Americans, the British sit down with them. They have impunity. They?ve become very courageous and can do whatever crimes they like."
Re: Karzai caves in to "Northern Alliance" serial rapist warlords
[info]area2 wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 11:34 am (UTC)
Lack of logic

The new law allows men to rape their wives. You are citing warlords who have violent control of areas raping and no dounbt doing lots of other violent things with impunity. They don't have to obey any law, because they are in control, and no democratic rule applies.

Presumablly the war lords can rape their own wives now, just as can any other man.

The two types of violence are created bydifferent things, both bad. The second is religion.
Your point?
[info]leonore35 wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 09:59 am (UTC)
Voodoojedzin You are a very confused person with a silly name to boot. So as there is abuse of women in all countires (which i am sure you have personal knowledge) we should not mention it in Afghanistan
The West is pouring millions into the country to try and improve the lives of the people (men and Women) and establish fair government and law enforcement after the tyranny of the Taliban who sole aim is to banish all forms of pleasure and joy in the country which we take for granted.
Karzai has effectively taken a step which is going back to oppression and discrimination, I think this is worthy of comment, which as I read Independent every day is not reported everyday
By the way the producers of porn get plenty of women wanting to work in the "industry" they don't compel anyone to do it, it is only exploitation if people are forced to do it
Re: Your point?
[info]voodoojedizin wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 12:29 pm (UTC)
Voodoojedzin You are a very confused person with a silly name to boot. So as there is abuse of women in all countires (which i am sure you have personal knowledge)

Why would you say this about me? For telling the truth!

Why don't you read my entire post and you get the answer.

The articles about Afghanistan are being use as propaganda for reasons to back a war in Afghanistan.

The west is not there to improve the lives of the people in Afghanistan and neither were the Russians.

You don't improve people's lives by bombing and killing women and children, and occupying their country.

And if we're so concerned, then why does the United States and Britain continue to do business With Countries that severely treat their women like crap?

We never question Saudi Arabia and we've been doing business with that country for over 50 years.
It is also known as the birthplace of radical Islam but not one bomb has ever dropped their.

I could go down a list of countries that we support and we do business with that also treat their women horribly but not one word will ever be mentioned about those countries because there are Allies.












So tell me again
[info]had_it wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 10:52 am (UTC)
What is it we are fighting for here?
Oh, right, so the repressive woman-hating regime will be on our side and not on the other side. What was the pother side again?
afghan new law
[info]kayfeminist wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 10:53 am (UTC)
What a disgrace! We are sending young men and women from a civilized country to prop up this regime and risk their lives.\we should wall off Afghanistan and restrict air travel from there to the rest of the civilized world - let them keep their primitive,barbaric habits to their own benighted country.If women attempt to flee from there,then they should be given some refuge.According to some reports they have a record number of female suicides -death being preferable to living in that society!
Another way
[info]snavej wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 01:22 pm (UTC)
It would seem that, before one can introduce a fairer law for women, one has to find a way to pacify the men and persuade them to agree to the law.
Religions
[info]vaux123 wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 02:03 pm (UTC)
Poor Afghanistan. It is becoming just like Italy - seriously! Governed by radical religious people.
Bishops, popes, mullahs, or any religious preacher: same rubbish!
Objection
[info]ali_sayyed wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 03:07 pm (UTC)
belive when my co worker and other friend saw this report all of us thought that it is a joke. we are afghan journalist. untill that time we thought that the weestern paper and media report fairli and so clear. but perfectli now we changed our view. why your reporter dont choos the peaple wisely?
It is wright that Shinkay Karrokhel is a MP member. but you have to know that many Afghan MPs dont have that much knowledge to express. clear. and say the fect and reality.The law depend to Shia peaple and Shia woman. Have your reporter asked any Shia women? What do you think yourselve?Is it a good report? I have a every night programme in Tamaddon TV tonight I said about your report. and how you report. Have a nice time. Sayyed Ali Hosaini . Kabol
Re: Objection
[info]corporeal4now wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 08:41 pm (UTC)

Western news delivers stories about what happens in Islamic countries in an way that makes it acceptable to the Western public. So dont be too surprised if the story concentrates on a particular aspect or tells it in a way that doesnt give the complete picture or background information.

You are right to point out that this is not relevant to the Islam in general but only a specific law for a Shia minority tradition. These specific details are not picked up by Western readers because they have a cursory and selective knowledge of Islam (and that again has been gained through the Western media network).
Horrible sign
[info]calgary_gal wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 05:45 pm (UTC)
Forgive me, but I'm not sure if Britain sends troops to Afghanistan, (I think you do?)but here in Canada we do, and they die for these people. I'm appalled that my country supports in any way any regime that endorses any atrocity towards women. The whole Muslim position on women is so troubling to me and so not needed in the west where our grandmothers and mothers fought, and continue to struggle, for equality. The dark ages are creeping across the world in the name of cultural diversity and religious freedom and western women better wake up...
This law goes against Islam
[info]corporeal4now wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 08:23 pm (UTC)

Wrong!
Once again the media mixes up local traditions with Islamic law.
In Islam, forced marriage is forbidden.
Status of women in Afghanistan
[info]janye1 wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 08:43 pm (UTC)
Legalized rape? This bill confirms that women in Afghanistan will not be treated like human beings but like
possessions of their husbands. Men want to run everything and do not want women to have a say in anything.
Uggh!
[info]asra23 wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 09:16 pm (UTC)
What a terrible message to send to Afghan women and the world in general. Maybe laws were this lopsided hundreds of years ago before the revelation of the Quran but, in case anyone forgot, the Quran granted women many rights which are clearly rebuked by this law. Examples include the right to own property and the right to divorce one's husband. I'm not ashamed to call myself a Shia Muslim, but I'm definitely embarrassed to admit that members of my faith would champion this kind of jurisprudence. I would never with clear conscience support them.
Re: Worse to come
[info]kodak321 wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 10:32 pm (UTC)
Thanks for your contribution. Just waiting...at a bus stop...for fifty-two people to be 'blasted to bits' by Christians from the local church...still waiting.... Enjoy.
Karzai is worse than a Terrorist
[info]xyberia44 wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 11:04 pm (UTC)
This man should be on the list of banned persons, a Weak Scared Politician only out for himself, with a little help from The West, Taliban, Al Quida and anyone else who voices an opinion... Amazing who can become president of a nation these days........

Stupidity and greed has no boundries.....
Apalling
[info]wolfdaughter wrote:
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 at 11:20 pm (UTC)
THIS is why Canadian soldiers have been sent there? THIS is what they're fighting and dying for? So the new gov't can pander to the fundamentalists? Hell no! Contact your government representatives and call for them to condemn this appalling and backwards legislation. This is NOT what we've fought for.
Re: Apalling
[info]efnc wrote:
Thursday, 2 April 2009 at 02:25 pm (UTC)
Amen.
I'll be speaking with mine later today, I hope. I only hope that this foul man is not elected again.
Marital rape in Islam
[info]kiwi_expat wrote:
Wednesday, 1 April 2009 at 04:51 am (UTC)
Quran 2:23:-

Your wives are as a tilth unto you;so approach your tilth how and when you will. But do........

Riyad-us-Saliheen:-

Abu Ali Talq Ali (RA) reported:- Messenger of Allah (SAW) said when a man calls his wife to satisfy his desire, she must go to him even if she is occupied with the oven.

Says it all really.
And the West is so much better? Please!
[info]liz45 wrote:
Wednesday, 1 April 2009 at 06:31 am (UTC)
People from the West need not feel smug and self satisfied, as the same acts are being committed each day in the countries included in the Coalition of the Willing - the US, Britain and my country Australia! You needn't go past certain assertions in the so-called Christian Bible that puts forward horrific acts of violence as being OK!

Before Paul Bremmer (US) left Iraq, he removed all the Laws of that country and replaced them with new ones, which in part, removed the CAPITAL OFFENCE of rape, among other disturbing additions and removals. There's also new Laws that favour mostly US, British oil companies re their future profits that over-ride the rights of the workers and people of Iraq - the people will lose billions over the next years!

There are at least 30 sexual assaults in Australia each day. Only a small percentage of these make it to Court, and although, recently we have Laws that protect the victim from havingn to face her alleged attacker in Court, it still is a demeaning and too frequently fruitless task, taking the perpetrator to Court.

37% of women have admitted to being physically and or sexually abused by their male partner in an intimate relationship - the older a woman is, the more chance she's experienced abuse. Being killed or assaulted by a man who purports to love you, is still the greatest physical threat to women in Australia - the risk of being killed in this manner is higher than breast cancer, assaults by a stranger or other illnesses in our community. I'm sure that in other Western countries, the stats are either this bad or worse. Leaving a violent relationship is no guarantee of protection - many women are killed AFTER they leave the relationship - sadly, many children are killed too! So, let's not be smug, and wear a superior grin when it comes to crimes of violence against women and girls - whether they're in a relationship or unknown to their assailant.

The use of sexual violence against women and children is a weapon of war - used by all countries, regardless of creed or colour. It's an epidemic with horrific stats! We need to be vocal always about its prevelance in all societies and across all cultures, incomes and areas of employment. It's all to easy to become boastful and complacent upon hearing such horrific stories like this one. When each person,particularly males, stand up and speak out against this horrific violence against women and girls, the rest of us have no right to feel complacent. It's a continuing struggle, and we don't have the luxury of taking a rest.

To find out the real reason for the invasion of Afghanistan, go to, "From Afghanistan to Iraq-Joining the dots with OIL" It's on the Alternet website, but should come up if you put it in your search engine! The truth will be revealed, including the role played by Karzai over the years. It doesn't surprise me that he went along with this - he's never cared for the people of Afghanistan - men, women or children!
Men in the West, don't feel smug! Only when you stand up to those you hear treating women in a demeaning manner, will violence of this type be eliminated. Many brave men come forward each year on White Ribbon Day - we need more!
Hamed Karzai is a Bastard
[info]zahrazahidi wrote:
Wednesday, 1 April 2009 at 02:13 pm (UTC)
Any sort of force is haram ( Forbidden)! there is nothing Islamic about this.
Investigative journalism should have truth to it
[info]mecca2madina wrote:
Wednesday, 1 April 2009 at 05:28 pm (UTC)
As a practicing Shi'a Muslim, I am extremely outraged that this "bill" is being passed. This has absolutely NO justification or validity in anyway shape or form according to Shi'a Islam. A woman has the right to choose her own spouse and any one that is forced into marriage that marriage is not considered valid.

I would really appreciate it if journalists like Jerome Starkey would take the time to study the claims that people are making. That way when false claims are being made (like in this case) it should be mentioned in the text of the article. It is part of the job of the journalist to check their facts. Especially since there is already so much misinformation on Islam already.

This is a good source for correct information on Shi'a Islam - www.al-islam.org

Thank you
Legalizing rape in Afghanistan
[info]pameal wrote:
Thursday, 2 April 2009 at 08:05 pm (UTC)
First we support the Taliban and pour billions of dollars into their war against Russia
Then their regime oppresses women, kills widows who try to feed their children and hide terriorists
Then we pour billions of dollars for war against terrorists in Afghanistan and new regime
Then that regime not only oppresses women but legislates husbands can rape wives
So women are now property again to husbands, brothers and fathers
What religion that is run by men for men cares about women and children rights?
Where is the kinder, gentler world?
War begets war. War on the people.
Stop war. Work for peace.
In the US we need to pass Womens Equal Rights Admendment to our Constitution.
Pamela



Womens Rights.
[info]jadelovesfrank wrote:
Friday, 3 April 2009 at 09:44 pm (UTC)
What rights will we have, if this goes on?
None, because ths refuses women to take part in no such activity.
It bans women from just about everything,
It's also women abuse, from sexual to anything.
This concludes to just show that the Men think women mean nothing.
Women have bared the child why can't they have the rights to the child.?
Afghan Womens' Rights
[info]abubbler wrote:
Friday, 3 April 2009 at 10:02 pm (UTC)
If the Afghan government choose to bring in such a medieval piece of "law", we in the west should very carefully consider whether we should be sending any more of our young men to die in defence of the regime.
this is legalizing rape
[info]peshogak wrote:
Saturday, 11 April 2009 at 05:27 am (UTC)
As a Muslim i protest to this law and as an Afghan i disagree with president Hamid Karzai, he wants to get the support of extremists, but i am sure it will not work and he will be out of circle. From the other hand he is legalizing the "Rape" of women by this law and he should be put under juridical pursuit of law by the high Court.
New Law in afghanistan
[info]amin123 wrote:
Thursday, 16 April 2009 at 11:08 am (UTC)
Passing this sort of law in a country where there is no education among the most afghan men and women, the best law for them now would be the afghan culture, if we want the western type law in Afghanistan it would be better to offer them the most up to date education first and then they will accept the western type law themselves and act on them.
Not In My Name
[info]gurneynutting wrote:
Friday, 17 April 2009 at 01:21 am (UTC)
I could not understand why we went to Afghanistan in the first place - it was a disaster in the 19th century, the Russians fared little better in the 20th century, and apparently if the West continues its support at current rates, the economy of Afghanistan will compare with Bangladesh, in about 25 years. Interesting even more is that the amount of money passing around in graft and other corruption actually exceeds the gross national product by a factor of about 4 (check out reports from the IMF and World Bank, et al for references, etc).

And now, Karzai and his cronies, in an effort to maintain power, through pandering to foreign and internal pressures, has passed a law that legalises rape and violence against women. Makes me pleased to have hung up my spurs and left the country, for even though some of my tax is still paying for this, I want to tell you that this is not being done in my name. Probably not yours, either.

I ask the question - in whose name is this being done? Then someone can explain to the amputee in a hospital in Solihull, or a widow in Catterick, or a grieving mother in Plymouth. Just be sure to look them in the eye when you do so.
Not In My Name
[info]gurneynutting wrote:
Friday, 17 April 2009 at 03:12 am (UTC)
I could not understand why we went to Afghanistan in the first place - it was a disaster for Britain in the 19th century, the Russians fared little better in the 20th century. There is no doubt that growing poppy is the source of a lot of evil in the west, and provides funds for a number of evil people in that region - but it also enables ordinary people to put bread on their families' tables - we do not seem to addressed the root cause. Apparently, if the West continues its support to Afghanistan at current rates, the economy of Afghanistan will compare with Bangladesh, in about 25 years. Interesting even more is that the amount of money passing around within Afghanistan in graft and other corruption actually exceeds the gross national product by a factor of about 4 (check out reports from the IMF and World Bank, et al for references, etc). Confused? I certainly am.

And now, Karzai and his cronies, in an effort to maintain power, through pandering to foreign and internal pressures, has passed a law that legalises rape and violence against women. While it is dangerous to make judgements about other societies and make comparisons with one's own, it has to be more dangerous to actively participate and support a society which appears to have mores and policies that are so divergent from one's own.

All this makes me both sad and pleased to have hung up my spurs and left the country, for even though some of my tax is still paying for this, I want to tell you that this is not being done in my name. Probably not yours, either.

I ask the question - in whose name is this being done? Then someone can explain to the amputee in a hospital in Solihull, or a widow in Catterick, or a grieving mother in Plymouth. Just be sure to look them in the eye when you do so.
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