Our March Author: Malalai Joya

This month we are reading A Woman Among Warlords by Malalai Joya. Joya served in the Afghan parliament until she was banned in 2007 for denouncing the presence of warlords and war criminals in that legislative body.  She continues to speak out for the rights of Afghan women and the cause of democracy. The author has her own multilingual website.  Do check that out for the latest news and comment and give a moment to the archive which contains more video clips like the one below from her appearance before the Loya Jirga of December 2003 which propelled her into international prominence.



A couple of older interviews are available online from New Statesman and PBS Now:

NOW: What is it like to fight for women's rights in your country?

To fight for women's rights in a besieged and benighted country like Afghanistan is accepting a big risk with many challenges. It is like going against water current. But it is a proud and shining struggle and through it we can teach the dark-minded misogynist elements that women are capable to change the world when they move into action. 

 Here she is being interviewed by Sonali Kolhatkar on Uprising.



There are several other lengthy videos of her book tour appearances here in the states. Take your pick-- Harvard with Noam Chomsky, Villanova (also available for download via iTunes), Uptake in Minneapolis.

Speaking of our friend Sonali, be sure to check out the Afghan Women's Mission website. It has been a while since we collaborated with this organization, which sponsored Malalai Joya's book tour last year, so this is a great opportunity to get reacquainted.

Catch up with Amnesty's work on Afghanistan here and be sure to take action on behalf of Afghan women.