Think about this: you are a female Member of Parliament, you are extremely popular for speaking out against violence, duress, and religion oppression. You face ongoing threats, demonstrations, and heckling – just recently four assassination attempts have been made on your life; during a live TV call-in show a viewer has threatened to kill you, and so on. Yet your government and its supporting Ally withdraw money for your security. Sound like a set-up job for aiding and abetting would-be assassins? This is the situation Malalai Joya, Afghani MP faces when she returns to Afghanistan at the start of April from a month-long tour of the US. While "the world’s premier rent-a-cop business," DynCorp, covers Hamid Karzai’s back on behalf of the US, the one person publicly speaking out against the war lords is being stripped bare of protection. Outrageous? I sure think so. However, if you want to DO something concrete about this you can write a letter to any or all of the following:
Office of the President Mr. Hamid Karzai
Rafiullah.mojaddedi@afghanistangov.org
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
Peace Street, Kabul
Fax: (+39-0831) 24 6069 AND (+1-212) 963 2669
spokesman-unama@un.org
ISAF (International Security Assistance Force)
Army Club, opposite Ministry of Civil Aviation, Kabul
pressoffice@isaf-hq.nato.int
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Malak Azghar Road, Kabul
Fax: +1-866-890-9988 and +1-801-459-2967
contact@afghanistan-mfa.net
Even more immediately and usefully, you can personally do what various Nations are failing to do and make a credit card donation or send a check, either will be used for Joya’s security. I just did and it felt great to be able to thumb my nose at the duplicity, chicanery and double-dealing of Government. (Checks should be made out to “International Humanities Center,” and write “Malalai Joya” in the memo. Mail checks to International Humanities Center, P.O. Box 923, Malibu, CA 90265.)