April 1, 2005
Suraya Parlika
Suraya Parlika in San Francisco speaks for Afghan Women
by Stephanie Hiller
Yes, Afghanistan is getting better, thanks to the support of the international community, said visiting women's rights leader Suraya Parlika in her gracious opening remarks to her talk at the World Affairs Council in San Francisco March 30.
But the situation of Afghan women has barely improved.
"The protests of women against inequality are considered immoral," she said. "And it is considered immoral if she embraces the rule of law, travels to another country, or removes the veil.
"A woman is considered virtuous if she is silent and submissive, and remains in her role as a tool of procreation and pleasure for the man. Only in her role of taking care of her family is she considered good."
Calling forced marriage to patriarchal men a "prison," and lamenting the continued dominance of the country by armed warlords, Parlika spoke eloquently in a quiet, melodic voice, in her native Dari, translated by Nassey Pourfathi.
"In the Koran, women have their own place, but fundamentalist warlords abuse their power. They do not accept the Koran's law or even the national law."
Girls are married very young, she said, sometimes when still in their mother's womb, sometimes to very old men. "Before she can breathe the air, she's a prisoner.
"To marry by her will is considered immoral, like prostitution."
Parlika, who is a candidate for the Afghan senate, is well known throughout Afghanistan. Choosing not to marry, she has spent her life fighting for women's rights. In 1978 she was chosen Chairman of the Democratic Organization of Afghan Women, for which she was immediately jailed and suffered torture in the infamous Pul-e-Charkhi prison. But she was elected again to that post after her release. In 1986, she left that post to become the head of the Afghan Red Crescent. Her life has been threatened, yet she continues her work for women's rights as the founder of the nationwide All Afghan Women's Union; she has been nominated as one of the 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize.
"We fought with our lives to get women's rights into our constitution. Forty-two percent of women voted." In the new constitution, women have equal rights with men; but the law has not changed the way women are treated.
Parlika was awarded the Medal of Honor from Afghan President Hamid Karzai after receiving the maximum number of votes, more than any other of the 500 delegates representing the Loya Jirga.
"If I am elected to the Senate, I will be a voice in parliament against the oppression Afghan women are suffering," she said. "We must show the man that women are the best, and make sure men can understand that they have to bow for their women's rights!"
The only way women can get free is to achieve an independent income, Parlika said, and for that they need education.
She added, "It's important to unite as many women as possible in a single organization capable of embracing the role of women in society and defending their freedoms."
Afghan women are quite capable, Parlika asserted. "Afghan women are the foundation of the society. They perform the most difficult tasks. They bring wood from the mountains, they do the farming, take care of animals, the difficult housework and the education of the kids. And she is not having any recompense for all this work.
"Beautiful carpets are made 100% by Afghani women and girls, and they never get a penny for what they do.
"We were not always like this. It was only 10 years under the Taliban. Before that women worked even in construction and were the first truck drivers. I was a student 40 years ago. Women were on the faculty. Afghan women can do any job!
"But now our political, educational and all social institutions are razed to the ground."
Her current tour of the United States, which ends Monday, April 2, was facilitated by members of The Afghan Academy of Hope, whose mission "is to create HOPE, by reducing poverty, supporting education, reducing the effects of trauma and providing nourishing meals for the children of Afghanistan." Casi Kushel and Suzanne Pregerson raised the money by giving a seminar and holding house parties.
Now they are trying to raise the $15,000 needed to pay the rent on the AAWU's center in Kabul.
Suraya's tour included a trip to the Beijing+10 review held at the UN Commission on the Status of Women in March.
Unfortunately she was taken ill and had to cancel many events to regain her strength.
She seemed well-recovered by Wednesday evening, never once wandering from the path of her clear message to Americans, especially women, who made up over 75% of the audience of 100. Many young women were present as well, and a number of Afghan Americans.
Several members of the Marin branch of Afghans4Tomorrow who had just returned from a tree-planting tour with Asma Eschen were also in the audience.
WBW met with Suraya Parlika during her tour
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT AFGHANISTAN:
WHAT THE NEWS MEDIA DOESN'T TELL YOU ABOUT AFGHANISTAN
From the Afghan Women's Mission