Video : Malalai Joya on Democracy Now
As stated previously, I do not necessarily agree with much of what Malalai Joya says nor do I agree with her methods, however as also stated previously, Ms. Joya is symbolic of the kind of voices that cannot be silenced if Afghanistan is to ever have a true democracy.
Whether this democracy comes organically from the Afghans or is ‘donated,’ as Ms. Joya states, by the United States, radical voices like Ms. Joya must be given an outlet in a democratic Afghanistan regardless of whose creation it is.
Also of note is that this is almost the same speech Ms. Joya gave to the National Press Club to far fewer positive results. Though there is little surprise in Amy Goodman’s acceptance of the Western title of ‘bravest woman in Afghanistan’ bestowed upon Ms. Joya, it would have been interesting to see Ms. Goodman challenging Joya to further elaborate on her accusations in the one-on-one interview format:
“The result of this election will be like the same donkey but with new saddle“
“But many others like me, there is no security for them. They are underground activists now. “
“Obama is going to decorate barbaric Taliban as a moderate, to give them a chance to bring them also in power, put soft name on these terrorists, while we have no moderate Talib“
“Many Bushes in my country that, this eight years, they changed Afghanistan to the safe haven for terrorism and center of drug “
And today, most of women are wearing burqa because of security. I wear a burqa just to be alive, this disgusting burqa, which is symbol of oppression, I think. And it’s like a shroud for life body most of women are wearing to be alive. Rape cases, domestic violences and also [inaudible] on the face of the girls and killing of women increasing rapidly.
We believe no nation can donate liberation to another nation