As an Afghan woman who for many years lived a life deprived of the most basic human rights, I find unbearable the thought of what will happen to the women of my country if it once again falls under the control of the insurgents and militants who now threaten it. In 2001, when the war in Afghanistan began, the liberation of Afghan women was one of the most important justifications for military intervention. Has the world now changed its mind about Afghan women? Is it ready to let them once again be killed and tortured by militants? Does the world no longer believe in the principles it supported in 2001?
Handing over Afghanistan to those who intend to keep the country centuries behind most of the world - to men who do not view women as human beings - would not only call into doubt the global commitment to human rights, it would also raise questions about the commitment of Western democracies to such rights and to democratic values. Bearing in mind how fragile the Afghan government is at this moment, it will not take long for the country's women to come under attack again. The consequences will be even more bitter this time because no matter how limited our success, we have at least managed to act in the forefront of public life in Afghanistan. We have had a taste of what it's like to have rights...
More at The Washington Post.
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<I>Nor should it form any more than a small, small fraction of the reason for staying.</i>
Can you expand on this?
<I>I dont believe there have been lines of Afghan women circling the block in front of Afghan army or police recruiting offices to fight the Taliban for their human rights.</i>
I suspect that has as much to do with the level of control Afghan women have over their own lives as the relative insecurity inherent in stepping out the front door.
Later in the same op-ed piece Ms. Frogh says “The question to keep in mind for all parties involved is, what motivated them to come to Afghanistan in the first place? The answer: global security and the protection of human rights in Afghanistan. Are these two purposes no longer valid?” I suspect that if you had taken a poll of all those who were sent to Afghanistan initially and asked “Why did you come to Afghanistan?” most would have acknowledged the global security need as one of their top two reasons (the other one being something along the lines of “my boss sent me”). I also suspect that protecting human rights in Afghanistan wouldn’t have gotten many votes. Likewise, I can’t imagine that there was a White House conversation after 9/11 that went something like “Hey, I know what we should do to Osama — lets send troops to Afghanistan to protect human rights!”
Protecting human rights (and women’s rights) is the icing on the cake. It’s not the cake. It’s a byproduct of accomplishing the main objective. It looks nice in print and makes for good visuals but it didn’t form part of the purpose for going there. Nor should it form any more than a small, small fraction of the reason for staying.
Regardless of the strategy that the Administration adopts, it’s time for Afghans to step up to the plate in vastly larger numbers than they have to date. I don’t believe there have been lines of Afghan women circling the block in front of Afghan army or police recruiting offices to fight the Taliban for their human rights. I haven’t seen photos of long lines of men either. If Afghans are to have the kind of lives and rights they aspire to, they need to be ready to fight to the death for them — they can’t expect anyone else to fight and die for these things on their behalf.
I’m not insensitive to what will happen should the Taliban come to power again but when I balance the lives, hopes and futures of the men and women of the ISAF against the benefits of Western-style human rights for Afghans, I come down squarely on the side of our men and women.