Independent Women's Forum - Lida Sahar Noory

Pushing for Afghan Women's Rights

info@iwf.org (Lida Sahar Noory) — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 11:12:00 EST

For women in Afghanistan there is much to be thankful for since the fall of the Taliban. But, five years later there is still much to be done and the challenges are not getting any easier. Afghanistan's Minister for Women's Affairs, Hussn Banu Ghazanfar, describes these challenges and the programs she is working on to strengthen her ministry in an article by Alisa Tang in the Washington Post.

During an interview with The Associated Press Minister Ghazanfar stated, "We've had three decades of war in Afghanistan, which have had very bad consequences for women. It takes time to solve these problems."

She explains that the most pressing issues facing Afghan women are violence and their low levels of education, especially for women in rural areas.

"The elimination of violence against women does not work if we just conduct seminars and workshops. If we create specific laws to protect women from violence, women will have more confidence," continues Ghazanfar.

Hijacking planes; Not just for terrorists anymore!

info@iwf.org (Lida Sahar Noory) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 15:18:00 EDT

Say good-bye to illegally crossing borders by foot or by jumping fences. Now all you have to do is hijack a plane, at least according to Hakan Ekinci, a Turkish army deserter and recent Christian convert who decided to combine terrorist tactics with immigration.

Ekinci was allegedly seeking asylum because he feared persecution in Turkey, a predominately Muslim country, after his conversion to Christianity. His solution was hijacking a Turkish airliner that was on its way to Italy in hopes of gaining the Pope's protection.

This was his "best" solution? Here are some excerpts from the Washington Post article.

"...Italy's interior minister Giuliano Amato told lawmakers, Ekinci slipped into the cockpit when an attendant opened the door and gave the pilot a note insisting that he had a message to deliver to the pope and that accomplices aboard another plane would "blow that plane up" if his message didn't reach the pontiff."

"He was obsessed with speaking to the pope, to say that he wanted to be protected, that he had embraced this (Christian) religion," Giannuzzi said."

I think it's the Pope and greater society who need the protection from him.

It gets even better:

"Amato said that while the hijacker wanted to deliver a message for the pope, he was not carrying any written letter for the pontiff."

"Ekinci had briefly served time in prison in 2003 for swindling and attempting to leave the country with another person's passport, the Turkish police said."

"Turkish officials have said that Hakan Ekinci was being sent back by Albania, where he had been denied asylum, to Turkey aboard the Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-400, with police waiting to arrest him in Istanbul where the 28-year-old deserter and convicted swindler would have landed Tuesday night."

And now it all makes a little more sense! Could it be that he was a crook avoiding consequences and neither a devout Muslim nor Christian escaping persecution for religious conversion? The Albanians don't want him and Italians are more than ready to try him. Maybe going back home to Turkey doesn't seem like it was such a bad idea after all.

Oddly to his credit, you can't say he was a hijacker without some manners.

"As the hijacking ended, Ekinci "walked through the middle of the business class and said, 'I apologize to all of you ... Good night,'" a Turkish passenger, Ergun Erkoseoglu, said upon returning to Istanbul."

As relieved as the passengers may have been that the end result was not far worse, I don't think "I'm sorry" was what they were quite looking for.

Will the real Muslims please stand up

info@iwf.org (Lida Sahar Noory) — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 11:57:00 EDT

In hope of a peaceful end to this seemingly intractable problem, the Pope and Islamic ambassadors met today in light of the uproar that has sparked as a result of the Pope's speech at the University of Regensburg. We can argue for days to decide which is worse: Pope Benedict XVI characterizing Prophet Muhammad's teachings as ‘evil and inhuman,' the violent reactions from Muslims around the world or if the former justifies the latter. Instead, both ends should be arguing why there hasn't been more peaceful means of dialogue.

The Pope's reference in his speech where he quoted a 14th century Byzantine Christian Emperor was offensive and inaccurate. "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread the sword the faith he preached," stated Benedict. CAIR (The Council on American-Islamic Relations) explains that the "Qur'an condemns forced acceptance of any faith when it states: 'Let there be no compulsion in religion (2:256).'

Since his speech, the Pope apologized for the reaction that his remark caused in some countries. "These in fact were a quotation from a medieval text, which do not in any way express my personal thought," explained the Pope in his apology.

The sincerity of the Pope's apology is arguable, but it was undoubtedly an attempt to appeal for calm within Muslim communities around the world. The unfortunate truth of the matter is that regardless of the inaccuracy or validity of the comment, the violent reaction of some Muslims around the world is far worse than the words of the Pope. Words don't hurt as bad as sticks and stones.

The case should have closed after the apology and for some sensible, moderate Muslims it did. For others, it was not enough. For the irrational and persistent it turned a very important and sensitive issue into a juvenile, whiny argument-sure he may have apologized, but he didn't really mean it! What they should be demanding more of is efforts to build better relationships between Christianity and Islam.

Regardless of whether the statement was taken out of context, many Muslims still took offense, but did not react violently. In this post 9/11 world, many people in the West have given in to prejudices and misconceptions of Islam being a violent religion. The terrorists of 9/11, as well as Muslim extremists throughout the world have only further validated this misperception.

Extremists have proven time and time again that violence is their only response, not dialogue. For them, the only way to respond to intolerant thought is with even more intolerant thinking. Since the speech, five churches were burned in Palestine, the pope was burned in effigy in Pakistani Kashmir and Basra, Iraq, and in Somalia a nun was murdered whose death is speculated to be linked with the Pope's comments.

Despite what the media displays or suggests, this is not the reaction of all Muslims. In the midst of all this, where are the voices of moderate Muslims around the world? Are they drowned by the extremists or simply hard to find?

The greater Muslim community should use this unfortunate episode to their advantage-not as a justification for violence and more hatred, rather to raise awareness and begin dialogue to help others understand why the comment was offensive and understand the underlying peaceful tenants of the Islamic faith.

If the Pope's comments were inaccurate and offensive, then Muslims ought to be just as offended by the violent responses and condemn such acts. If this is the only way to respond or to be heard, then it's only adding fuel to the fire of misconceptions and anger towards Muslims.

Women's Participation in the Democratic Processes in Iraq and Afghanistan: Achievments and Challenges

info@iwf.org (Michelle D. Bernard) info@iwf.org (Lida Sahar Noory) — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 00:00:00 EDT

Executive Summary
Written for The Center for Vision and Values at Grove City College and presented at its April 2006 Conference: "Mr. Jefferson Goes to the Middle East: Democracy's Prospects in the Arab World."

Women, often the first sector of society to be negatively impacted by war, conflict, and economic upheaval, suffered tremendously under the Taliban and Saddam Hussein. Despite years of degradation under these regimes, both Afghan and Iraqi women emerged as full participants in civil and public life as their countries embarked on the path to democratization. Even at the expense of their personal security, Iraqi and Afghan women actively engaged in the electoral process and advocacy efforts to shape national policy on a host of issues, including women's human rights. Women joined political parties, voted, and ran for office in record numbers. As a result, Iraqi and Afghan women are represented in the various echelons of government as ministers, parliamentarians, and members of local government. In addition, women's non-profit organizations have established themselves as key stakeholders in these countries' nascent, yet flourishing, civil societies. After the overthrow of the Taliban, women comprised 12% of the Emergency Loya Jirga. In addition, two women ministers were appointed to the Afghan Interim Authority. The 2004 Afghan Constitution also provides a broad equal protection clause that extends to men and women.

In February 2004, Iraqi women demanded that the Interim Governing Council withdraw Resolution 137, which would have put family law under shariía law. The Law of Administration for the State of Iraq for the Transitional Period (TAL) and Iraq's permanent constitution mandate that 25% of the seats of the National Assembly be reserved for women. Under the Transitional National Assembly, women were elected to 87 out of the 275 seats and six women were appointed ministers. Both Iraqi and Afghan women are actively participating in civil society through NGOs and vocational centers.

Despite their sizeable representation in government, Iraqi and Afghan women still face considerable challenges. Political instability, lack of security, and traditional social and religious mores continue to prevent women from being full participants in the political process. Women's rights, particularly in the area of family law, need to be protected under the constitution; the constitution's subsequent interpretation and related legislation must be protected from strict interpretations of shariía that discriminate against women. Education and employment opportunities for women will ensure that future generations of qualified women leaders assume positions in the private and public sectors.

Women and the Afghan Cabinet

info@iwf.org (Lida Sahar Noory) — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 00:00:00 EDT

The Examiner

Where have all the women gone?

WASHINGTON - The recent shuffle in Afghanistan's cabinet is more a "shuffling out" of Afghan women. Twenty of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's nominees for the Cabinet and Supreme Court have been sworn in after being approved by the parliament. Yet the single woman nominated (not surprisingly to the Ministry of Women's Affairs) was rejected, and not one Supreme Court nominee was female.

Since the fall of the Taliban, Afghan women have made great strides in terms of political participation. Women immediately took advantage of the opportunity to be represented at all levels in the government. Afghanistan's new constitution requires that 25 percent of the seats in the lower house of parliament and 17 percent in the upper house are reserved for women. Masouda Jalal became Afghanistan's first female presidential candidate and Habiba Sorabi became the first female governor in Bamyan. Also, the Ministry of Women's Affairs, Ministry of Youth and Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled were each lead by female ministers in Karzai's interim government.

The progress achieved by these women was meant to be a starting point for the increased participation of women, not the end. But since Parliament was elected and became responsible for officially voting on President Karzai's nominees, not one female minister has been confirmed. The new government's reticence to confirm any women to power invited speculation that the appointment of the first three women ministers were simply symbolic gestures meant to appease the international community.

Some argue that there are simply no qualified women to fill these posts; but reality proves otherwise. For instance, the many pioneering women who have been involved in the government disprove this claim. Women such as Masouda Jalal, Habiba Sorabi and Sediqa Balkhi are an integral part of a budding democracy.

The dubious qualifications of some male appointees-- including warlords, drug leaders and former Talibs-- also suggests that this argument is species. Malalai Joya, a 27-year-old female MP who exemplifies the strength of Afghan women, stood up in parliament openly challenging her counterparts. "Every day I look into the eyes of warlords and commanders who have ordered the killings of hundreds of thousands of Afghans, and I wonder how they can be allowed to be the people's representatives," argues Joya. Despite receiving continuous death threats, Joya continues to work to improve Afghanistan�s future and demonstrates the critical role Afghan women can play in shaping the country.

One of the real reasons why few Afghan women are being given positions of power in the government is the conservative cultural bias that pervades Afghan society, which makes empowering women taboo. An aide to President Karzai explains, an Afghan woman is not suitable to fill positions in the Supreme Court because "she is thinking as a sister or mother or wife, [although] we have very intelligent Afghan women, they are not strong enough." To the contrary, if the women in Afghanistan are anything like the Afghan women I know, then they are anything but weak. The women who survived the mercilessness of the Taliban regime and years of civil war are some of the most resilient women in the world.

Despite these setbacks, Afghan women are still in a position to promote democratic change and combat the religious extremism that threatens to reverse their progress. One area where women's human rights are threatened is within the structure of the judiciary system. For instance, dominant conservative judges on the Supreme Court have passed discriminatory and disturbing rulings that affect Afghan women: They sought to ban a 2004 presidential candidate who questioned whether polygamy complies with Islam; they outlawed women from singing on television; they have called for an end to cable television; and most disturbingly, the Supreme Court ruled that young girls given as brides at the age of nine (despite laws setting marriageable age at 16) cannot get a divorce from abusive husbands.

Fortunately, Karzai recognizes the need for reform and is replacing nine judges on the interim court. Moreover, on May 27, Afghanistan's parliament rejected Karzai�s nominee for chief justice, Fazel Hadi Shinwari, known for his "ultra conservative" and fundamentalist views. Hopefully, the new Supreme Court will offer moderate views that will counter-balance strict interpretations of shari'a law. This court has the unprecedented opportunity to grant women more equality under the law -- not simply on paper, but in practice.

It's imperative that women in Afghanistan continue to demand full political participation, including positions in the Cabinet and Supreme Court. Afghan women have already made tremendous gains during the past five years that cannot be revoked if Afghanistan is to join the modern world.

Remember Afghanistan; Our Enemies Do

info@iwf.org (Lida Sahar Noory) — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST

Human Events Online

While the nation's focus turns from Iraq to Iran, the Taliban and its allies are making a comeback. Scattered headlines in mainstream media -- a recent suicide car bombing in Kabul and the release of beheading videos from the Taliban -- temporarily bring Afghanistan back to the forefront, but Americans cannot forget the important battle that remains for the long term stability of the country.

Nearly five years ago, Afghans had their first glimpse of hope for a more stable and democratic future. They had endured decades of a brutal civil war and the mercilessness of the Taliban regime. Today, Afghanistan has made significant progress, but remains a target and potential breeding ground for terrorists and religious extremists. Unless America is vigilant in helping Afghanistan in this critical early stage, terrorism will rise and the progress Afghanistan has made will be put at great risk.

"Suicide bombings" are words usually associated today with Iraq. However, last Sunday former president Sibghatullah Mujaddedi became all too familiar with this term and the fear it inspires when he narrowly avoided a suicide car bombing in Kabul. The attack left him with burn injuries and killed two civilians.

Afghans have, unfortunately, been forced to grow quite accustomed to violence, especially in tribal areas where security has long been an empty word; however, this incident occurred in Kabul, the nation's capital. This attack in the city that has enjoyed the greatest security advances suggests an enemy reinvigorated and the possibility of larger attacks. Terrorism is gaining momentum in Afghanistan at a time when the U.S is drawing down its military forces.

It's tempting for the United States to shift focus, and resources, away from Afghanistan. The Taliban, and its allies, will take advantage of any failing on our part to support essential friendships. Americans must remember that in this war on terror, whether you name our enemies "Taliban" or "al Qaeda" makes no difference. They represent the same risk that our nation recognized as intolerable five years ago.

Those Afghans who sincerely work on the side of peace and progress need help now more than ever from the international community to defeat terrorism, and prevent any extremist regime from holding Afghanistan back from stability and democratization.

Let us not forget that Afghanistan, with the help of the U.S. and its allies, has made remarkable strides since the end of 2001. It has an elected government, its children are going back to school, and it has fashioned a constitution, which U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad has referred to as "the most enlightened in the Islamic world."

Afghan women who had been (and continue to be) targeted by the Taliban did not miss a beat immediately after the regime's fall. Afghanistan has now seen its first female presidential candidate, first female governor, several MPs, and even a few cabinet members.

However, these gains are by no means permanent. A worrisome security situation may reverse established progress. We live in a world that is not only interdependent politically and economically, but also ideologically. The Taliban, or al Qaeda, or any similar organization, cannot coexist along side a population fiercely committed to the pursuit of liberty and human dignity. It is no surprise that rural and tribal areas, where there is weaker support for women's political and economic participation, are also neighborhoods that act as safe havens for terrorists.

Today's Afghans struggle to ensure that the next generation will live the lives they never had. It will be a long project that will require an extended commitment from the international community. With strong security and cooperation from the international community, Afghanistan�s neighbors, and their constituencies, the insurgents will ultimately be defeated. All Afghans will be better off -- and so will we.

Ms. Noory is an Afghan-American and associate director for international policy at the Independent Women's Forum.

International Women's Day

info@iwf.org (Lida Sahar Noory) — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST

Everyday we should recognize the strength and achievements of women as mothers, entrepreneurs, local and national leaders. Today, however, it's particularly important as women around the world commemorate each other's achievements. International Women's Day is an occasion to recognize the need for freedom, justice, and equality for all. This year's theme -- the role of women in decision-making appropriately comes after a season of women's remarkable achievements such as the political participation of women in Iraq and Afghanistan and an increase in the numbers of women heads of state around the globe.

In January, Liberia elected Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, inaugurating not only the nation's first female president, but also the first woman in Africa to be elected head of state.� Tarja Halonen was given a second opportunity to serve her country in Finland when she was re-elected as president in January. Angela Merkel paved the way for young women in Germany upon her election as the new chancellor.

In Afghanistan, Masooda Jalal, who was the first Afghan woman to run for president, currently serves as the Minister of Women's Affairs. She is an inspiration for the next generations of young women leaders. Afghan women are becoming increasingly involved in the political and economic processes.

One area of particular concern in both Afghanistan and Iraq is the need for rural development. While great strides have been made particularly in the urban areas, rural women also need to be engaged in the social, political, and economic processes so that they can become an integral part of building a stable and strong country that respects women's rights.

Rural areas of Afghanistan face tremendous daily challenges. As Afghanistan's Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, Mohammad Hanif Atmar, describes many of these areas struggle with such fundamental problems as access to food and safe drinking water and a lack of social services, such as health care and education. Developing this basic infrastructure is critical to helping Afghans in rural communities to have the opportunity for legitimate and secure livelihoods.

According to the first nationwide poll in Afghanistan, two-thirds of the population supports women holding government offices, however, this support is especially weaker in rural areas. Additionally, the survey found that 40 percent of Afghans describe life as "very good" compared to 24 percent in rural areas.

As a result, the weak support for women's human rights and poor livelihoods increases the susceptibility of these communities to becoming breading grounds for terrorists. Developing the infrastructure and providing education and economic expansion will prevent our enemies from using rural neighborhoods as a safe haven. Through extended security and the economic and social advancement of women and men in rural areas, national security will strengthen.

Women in Iraq achieved high representation in parliament and have been actively involved in the constitutional drafting process. Nevertheless, engaging women in civil society and the political process in rural regions remains a challenge. The United States has been particularly active in supporting women's centers and through grants funded by the United States Department's Iraqi Women's Democracy Initiative, the Independent Women's Forum and its partner the American Islamic Congress, will provide training and education to advance and support women's economic empowerment, including skills training and job creation in south and south central Iraq. Developing and continuing projects such as these will foster self-sufficiency and education for rural women and ultimately enhance the economy and national security.

Building stable and secure countries requires the active participation of everyone. International Women's Day is a time to celebrate the progress women have made, but it is a time to renew our dedication to making sure that all women, including those in rural areas, are brought into the democratization process.

Afghan Optimism

info@iwf.org (Carrie L. Lukas) info@iwf.org (Lida Sahar Noory) — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST

National Review Online

"Principal of a girls' elementary school beheaded by Taliban militants"-- that's the type of headline about Afghanistan that tends to make the papers. The New York Times ran an article on that particular brutal murder in early January, the latest in a series of attacks against people who dare to teach girls in Afghanistan. The month continued with stories about terrorist bombings and Afghanistan's struggling economy.

These are, of course, important stories. Americans need to understand that Afghanistan faces many high hurdles as it strives for economic and political stability, including the continued campaign by radical Islamists against equality for women. But Americans also should hear the good news about progress in Afghanistan.

One story the New York Times didn't cover was the first nationwide poll in Afghanistan. This survey revealed that Afghans are overwhelmingly optimistic about their country's future. Two out of three Afghans expect their lives to improve in the year ahead and more than three in four say their country is headed in the right direction. They are grateful that the United States overthrew the Taliban, with 87 percent calling America's actions good for their country.

The antiwar Left often claims that America's military forces are viewed as occupiers or imperialists by most Iraqis and Afghans. Yet this poll revealed that an overwhelming majority of Afghans welcome the U.S. military presence. Sixty-five percent say they want American forces to stay until "security is restored" compared to just eight percent who want an immediate withdrawal.

Afghans' optimism thrives despite almost unimaginable hardships. The survey showed that nearly six out of ten have no electricity in their homes and only three percent have it all day. Afghans still face poverty and a government that struggles with corruption. Yet more than nine out of ten say they prefer the current government to the Taliban regime.

The survey also revealed that those hostile to decent treatment for Afghan women are a minority. Nine out of ten support education for girls and a similar percentage say women should be able to vote; three-quarters support women holding jobs outside the home and two-thirds would allow women to serve in government.

Women had a long history of progress in Afghanistan before the Taliban seized power. In the 1920s, Afghan women gained the right to vote and the 1964 Afghan constitution guaranteed equality for women. Before the Taliban ascended in 1994, women were active participants in Afghan society, working as schoolteachers, bureaucrats, doctors, and lawyers. Many earned university-level educations. The severe repression of women under the Taliban regime was a perversion-- today's movement to grant greater inclusion in society is a return to Afghan traditions.

Thanks to help from the United States, the U.K., Australia, Poland, and other allies, women in Afghanistan are making great strides. They are, most notably, actively participating in the country's new government. In the first democratic presidential elections in October 2004, Masooda Jalal, a 41-year-old mother of three, was the first Afghan woman ever to run for president. She came in sixth, receiving more votes than 13 of the male candidates. Two female ministers hold government portfolios. Central Bamiyan boasts Afghanistan's first woman governor, Habiba Sorabi, who took the oath of office in 2005. Moqadasa Sidiqi, a 19-year-old female refugee, cast the first vote in Afghanistan's first presidential election. She was followed by roughly four million of her countrywomen.

Afghanistan still has a long way to go before it will be a "normal" democracy. No doubt there will be a steady stream of violence, and newspapers like the New York Times will cover the country's setbacks in excruciating detail. But Americans should know that there is another side to these stories. The majority of Afghanistan's citizens are laboring against long odds and evil men to build a better future. If these proud people are optimistic, then we should be too.