Malalai Joya Needs Your Help

Madison Women for Peace was honored to host Afghan parliamentarian and women's rights activist Malalai Joya in March 2006, as part of our International Women's Day celebration (organized with the WI Coordinating Council on Nicaragua; see our photos section for pics from the event).

The warlords and drug lords who Malalai frequently criticizes have long tried to silence her, even attempting to assassinate her. But Malalai has been able to continue her activism and outspoken defense of human rights - until recently, when she was suspended from Parliament. The given reason for her suspension is that Malalai called the Afghan parliament "worse than a stable or a zoo," because "at least there you have a donkey that carries a load and a cow that provides milk." Human Rights Watch is calling for Malalai to be reinstated.

Below is an action alert from the Defense Committe for Malalai Joya. Please take action, in support of real democracy and women's rights in Afghanistan!

In the past few weeks, after Malalai Joya's return from a successful international tour and interview with a local TV station in Kabul, the warlords and criminals in the Afghan Parliament and Senate, tried hard to silence Joya and kick her out of the Parliament.

They have used one of her recent comments during an interview as a justification for their move. In the interview, she expressed that the Afghan Parliament is worse than an animal stable whose many members are the murderers and enemies of Afghan people.

On May 21, 2007, with a gross majority, the Parliament dominated by warlords and drug-lords suspended Joya for three years and ordered the High Court to file a case against her. They also directed the Interior Ministry to restrict her movements to within the country. This means she is not allowed to travel outside Afghanistan.

In a press conference in Kabul, Joya announced that it is a political conspiracy against her and she will continue her fight against the warlords and enemies of Afghan people. She is ready to face an independent court and will use the opportunity to expose the enemies of Afghan people through it. Joya added, "but I am very sorry that there is no justice in Afghanistan and the judiciary is also infected with the virus of warlordism and the fundamentalists occupy it."

Some Afghan lawyers that we approached believe that the Parliament's decision is illegal and only a court can decide to oust an elected representative of people from the parliament.

But we are happy that majority of ordinary Afghan people strongly support Joya and she is receiving many phone calls, letters and emails full of sympathies and solidarity following the parliament decision.

WE URGE all her supporters and well-wishers to come forward and help Joya now.

YOU CAN do so in the following ways:

* Write to Afghan officials and file your protest for expelling and prosecuting Joya, while the terrorists and human rights violators in the parliament were provided immunity before any court for their past crimes last month.

* Express your concern for Joya's security during the court sessions as the fundamentalists currently hold key positions in Afghanistan's judiciary.

* Circulate this letter and ask lawyers and defenders of human rights in your area and country to come forward and help Joya during her court proceedings and defend her.

* Donate to Joya's security fund online at https://www.malalaijoya.com/donor/donor_info.php to help improve her security with necessary equipment and facilities, while she is now deprived of all official facilities.

Letters of protest can be sent to the following sources:

President Hamid Karzai
eq.ahmad@gmail.com
president@afghanistangov.org

Supreme Court of Afghanistan
aquddus@supremecourt.gov.af
Feedback Form of the Supreme Court

Afghanistan's Parliament
hasib-n786@yahoo.com

Interior Ministry
moinews@gmail.com
wahed.moi@gmail.com

Justice Ministry of Afghanistan
info@moj.gov.af
hidayatr@moj.gov.af

We thank you for your prompt action and support and hope you will forward a copy of your letters to mj@malalaijoya.com.

For more information, visit www.malalaijoya.com.

Is It Time to Put Impeachment on the Table?

Town meeting on "Impeachment, Peace & Action"

Monday, May 21, 2007, 5:30 to 7:45 pm
UW Memorial Union, Great Hall, 800 Langdon St, Madison

From Buzz Davis, the chair of the WI Impeachment / Bring Our Troops Home Coalition, and a member of Veterans for Peace:

We said in the November elections, "Get our troops out of Iraq!" Did Congress listen? No! They've spent four months talking about spending $100 billion MORE for MORE troops. ...

Under the United Nations Charter and the U.S. Constitution, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are illegal. They're wars of aggression. Rep. Conyers introduced his House resolution to impeach Mr. Bush in December 2005. Thirty-six House members signed on. The Republicans buried the bill.

Then came November, we voters gave Democrats Congressional control and what does Speaker Pelosi say? "Impeachment is off the table because Democrats will be too busy doing the public's business."

Huh? Ms. Pelosi, impeachment to protect and defend the Constitution is the MOST important public business!

Rep. Kucinich now has introduced his House resolution to impeach Mr. Cheney. Are House members rushing to cosponsor? No, House members are taking orders from Pelosi.

State Rep. Frank Boyle has introduced his Assembly joint resolution to impeach Mr. Bush. No rush by Assembly members to cosign either. That's a federal issue, they rationalize.

Thousands of WI National Guard and Reserve members have been called up to serve in illegal wars and it is not a WI issue? When tornadoes next rip through WI, we will not be able to properly react because the Guard members and equipment are in Iraq. Our governor remains silent on allowing WI citizens to be called to serve in illegal wars. And this is not a WI issue?

The solution is simple: Impeach Bush and Cheney for massive high crimes - illegal wars, illegal torture and illegal wiretapping of Americans. Impeach and remove the crooks from office because the wars are illegal and our troops will be brought home. Why? Because the next president will NOT be dumb enough to say, "Well the first thing I must do is continue the Iraq war."

Mother's Day for Peace: Sat. May 12

Join local Women for Peace: CodePink members in reclaiming the peace activist roots of Mother's Day on Saturday May 12!

From 9 am to 12 noon on May 12, we'll be in front of the Children's Museum, where State Street meets the Capitol Square. (Other events, including Art Bikes and children's events, will also be going on, hopefully increasing our audience.)

We'll have a few large exhibits, including Julia Ward Howe's original Mother's Day proclamation from 1870, which reads in part:

Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.

Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.

We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.

We'll also have information on the U.S. war economy, and postcards for passers by to support a more sane allocation of resources that prioritizes health, education, the environment and other human needs over war.

Join us at the planning meeting on Monday May 7 and/or for the event on Saturday May 12. And wear your pink proudly!