[Marxism] The case of Malalai Joya

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

*Please forward widely*

November 28, 2007

International appeal to support the reinstatement of Malalai Joya
The case of Malalai Joya, the 29 year-old elected representative 
unjustly suspended from the Afghan parliament in May 2007, requires the 
urgent attention of the international community.

As activists and writers living in countries whose governments are at 
war in Afghanistan and back the regime of Hamid Karzai, we wish to 
express our support for Malalai Joya.

Ms. Joya has been an outspoken critic of the heavy presence of warlords 
and other anti-democratic forces in the Afghan parliament, and for this 
she has won widespread support. In 2005, she was elected to parliament 
as a representative of Farah province. Such is her popularity that when 
she as suspended from parliament, spontaneous demonstrations took place 
throughout Afghanistan to show support for her reinstatement.

Contrary to the claims of the NATO governments, Malalai Joya says that 
the West’s occupation of Afghanistan has pushed her country “from the 
frying pan into the fire,” empowering assorted warlords and criminals. 
Joya has also explained that six years of war have not encouraged the 
spread of women’s rights: “We want liberation, not occupation.”

We believe that the governments of the NATO countries bear a great deal 
of responsibility for Malalai Joya’s security, as they created and prop 
up the government that has allowed her to be expelled from parliament. 
Because she has spoken truth to power, she has been the victim of four 
assassination attempts, and must travel clandestinely and under tight 
security.

We pledge our ongoing support for Malalai Joya’s reinstatement and call 
on the governments of the NATO alliance and other countries with troops 
on the ground to pressure the Afghan government to reinstate her to 
parliament.

The world is watching the case of Malalai Joya, and she has great 
support amongst all those working towards genuine democracy and women’s 
rights in Afghanistan.

Original Signatories

Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK (United States)
Lawrence Boxall, Jews for a Just Peace - Vancouver (Canada)
Cristina Cattafesta, President, Coordinamento Italiano Sostegno Donne 
Afghane (Italy)
Noam Chomsky (United States)
Libby Davies, Member of Parliament, Deputy Leader, New Democratic Party 
(Canada)
Dr. Lynette Dumble, Director, Global Sisterhood Network (Australia)
Kim Elliott, Publisher, rabble.ca (Canada)
Mable Elmore, Coordinator, Friends of Malalai Joya – Canada, Co-chair, 
StopWar.ca (Canada)
Joan Felip, activist (Catalonia)
Susan George, Senior Fellow, Transnational Institute (France)
Heike Hänsel, Member of Parliament, Left Party (Germany)
James Ingalls, Co-director, Afghan Women’s Mission (United States)
Christine Jones, Co-chair, Canadian Peace Alliance (Canada)
Jef Keighley, Chair, World Peace Forum Society (Canada)
Naomi Klein, journalist (Canada)
Sonali Kolhatkar, Co-director, Afghan Women’s Mission (United States)
Jack Layton, Member of Parliament, Leader, New Democratic Party (Canada)
Collette Lemieux, Co-chair, Canadian Peace Alliance (Canada)
Heather Mallick, writer (Canada)
Hakeem Naim, Co-director, Malalai Joya Defense Committee (United States)
Derrick O’Keefe, Editor, rabble.ca and Co-chair, StopWar.ca (Canada)
Hamid Osman, President, York Federation of Students (Canada)
Silvana Pisa, Member of Senate (Italy)
Laura Quagliuolo, Vice-president, Coordinamento Italiano Sostegno Donne 
Afghane (Italy)
Gina Whitfield, Friends of Malalai Joya - Canada
Onnie Wilson, Network Coordinator, RAWA Supporters Melbourne (Australia)

To add your signature as an individual, or to add the endorsement of 
your organization, please email malalai.joya@xxxxxxxxx

A complete list of signatures and a pdf of the letter will be available 
at: http://stopwar.ca/supportmalalaijoya.html

For more information on Malalai Joya and the campaign to have her 
reinstated, please visit http://malalaijoya.com. This letter was 
initiated by Friends of Malalai Joya - Canada, with the help of 
supporters in a number of countries.

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