April 21, 2003
Awakened Woman's Circle is working for peace
Clinic Letter to President of Pakistan
from RAWA
General Parviz Musharraf
President of Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan
Fax: 92-51-922-4768
April 14, 2003
Dear General Musharraf;
We are writing to express our concern and outrage over the recent attack at RAWA's (The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan) Malalai Hospital in Rawalpindi Pakistan in which a male employee of the hospital was shot and wounded in the abdomen by masked assailants. The three gunmen, who have not yet been captured, had previously accosted a hospital nurse's assistant at her place of residence and during the shooting cursed RAWA. This suggests that the attack was not a random act of violence, but rather a political attack by terrorist foes of RAWA, a pro-democracy and human rights, humanitarian and political Afghan women's organization.
During RAWA's 22-year history in Pakistan they have continually contributed to the basic survival, medical, financial and educational needs of Afghan refugees in your country, providing necessary services that have aided not only Afghan refugees, but the country of Pakistan as well. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that persons opposed to the work and pro-democracy and anti-fundamentalist stance of the brave women of RAWA have attacked the organization on Pakistani soil. We in the international community are extremely concerned about this newest attempt to scare, intimidate and silence this strong voice of Afghan women. Although RAWA has always been well aware of the risks posed by the brutality of their enemies they have decided to take some calculated risks, such as opening a public hospital that provides free care to over 200 women and children a day, in order to best serve the needs of the Afghan refugee community who continue to fear a return to a still quite insecure Afghanistan.
In order to allow RAWA to continue their important humanitarian work and prevent such attacks in the future we are asking that the appropriate Pakistani authorities treat this attack and the investigation that surely is following with the utmost seriousness and diligence. We are aware that Pakistan is a partner in the international war on terrorism and so is committed to the stoppage of politically motivated violence in its own country as well. We in the international community have deep respect for the work and struggle of RAWA and hate to see anything threaten their safety or their important work on behalf of the women and children of Afghanistan.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Please sign and fax the attached letter to General Musharraf. Please also send signed copies of this letter to RAWA as well as to the following involved officials:
RAWA - (fax is a US number) 760 281-9855
Ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, Pakistani Embassy in Washington DC 202 387-0484
Khurshid M. Kasuri, Minister of Foreign Affairs - (011) 92 51 920 2518
Aziz Ahmed Khan, Additional Secretary - 92 51 920-6173
Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, Interior Minister 92 51 920-2642
American Embassy in Islamabad 92 51 227-6427
Ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, Pakistani Embassy in Washington DC 202 387-0484
If you are not based in the US, please also send copies of this letter to your country's Embassy in Islamabad and the Pakistani Embassy/Consulate in your country.
cc: Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Additional Secretary for Afghanistan; Interior Ministry; American Embassy in Islamabad; Pakistani Consulate, Washington, DC.