RAWA vows to work for restoration of peace in Afghanistan
The Frontier Post, April 29,2000
F.P. Report

PESHAWAR - Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan RAWA on Friday took out a procession condemning Taliban militia and all the Jehadi forces in Afghanistan and reiterated their commitment to render every sacrifice for the restoration of peace, democracy and human rights in their war-torn country.

The RAWA activists, majority of them Afghan women and children, gathered in Peshawar Morh, Islamabad who had specially came from different refugees camps and various parts of Islamabad to participate in the protest march. They started their protest from Peshawar Morh and marched up to Karachi Company. The protesters carrying big banners, placards inscribed with anti Taliban slogans, in favor of democracy, peace and appreciating the role of their association, were chanting full throat slogans. A group of children, both male and female, carrying the big portraits of the injured Afghan refugees showing the miseries and devastation of the Afghan war and miseries of the Afghan nation was leading the procession.

A large number of Afghan men also accompanied the RAWA activists. The procession terminated at Karachi Company, where a RAWA activist addressed the participants. Terming the April 28 as Black Day, she said that on this day, the Soviet Union-backed individuals had ceased power in Afghanistan followed by a more repressive and cruel government that took reign of the country as self-styled custodians of Islam.

The Jehadi groups in Kabul then unleashed heinous crimes against Afghan women. These groups headed by Gulbadin, Rabbani, Syaff, Masoud, Dostum, Khalili, Mazari, and other lackeys of the Iranian regime played havoc with Afghan society to perpetuate their impious rule, she added. She said similarly, the Taliban now ruling Kabul are not different from their predecessors who are strictly pursing and practicing the brutal legacy left by their “Jehadi brothers”.

Later, they distributed a declaration of RAWA, wherein they severely criticized the Taliban and Jehadi groups in Afghanistan. It said, “we regard the recent pronouncement by the Russian government hinting at launching strikes against Taliban bases as a malicious conspiracy hatched in the interests of its hegemonic objectives. Also such ill-advised actions will be glaring manifestations of blatant support to the Jehadi organizations. We warn the Russian government against a fatal repetition of history. The fate of the Russian’s new Jehadi lackeys will be not better than that of their defunct Khaliqi and Parchami stooges”.

It welcomed the Canadian Foreign Minister statement wherein he had termed Taliban “a group of criminals”. Quoting a statement from Weekly Omid published from Virginia USA, a Jehadi dummy, it said that such utterances proves for the umpteenth time that if weapons are taken away from fundamentalists, fundamentalism is rendered ideologically paralyzed and intellectually bankrupt.

“We call upon all organizations and individuals championing freedom and justice the world over to give ear to the voice of RAWA and pressurize their governments to desist from any and all direct or indirect economic or political support to the Taliban or the Jehadis and not to allow the blade of Rabbani & Co. to once again stab our people in the back after the fall of the Taliban. We call on all Afghan pro-democracy and anti-fundamentalist organizations and personalities to overcome any compromising tendencies towards the religio-fascist Taliban or the Jehadis, and resolutely focus their thoughts, energies and resources on the struggle against the fundamentalists.”

RAWA claims enlisting US support against Taliban
The News International, May 1, 2000
Mariana Baabar

ISLAMABAD: The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) has claimed enlisting support of the US Congress and the Senate against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

A RAWA spokeswoman told The News on Sunday that members of the US Congress and the Senate attended their anti-Taliban demonstration outside the White House Saturday. Two RAWA members led the demonstration attended by 80 people.

Eleanor Smeal, president of the feminist majority foundation addressed the rally and condemned "fundamentalists" in Afghanistan for their alleged crimes against women.

The spokeswoman said they received support letters from the US Congress and the Senate that were read out by members of the two fora at the rally.

Besides staging rallies in Pakistan on the anniversary of Taliban's take over, RAWA supporters also staged demonstrations in Rome and Milan, Italy the same day.

A RAWA leader said: "With the collapse of the puppet regime of the Khaliq and Parcham stooges on 28th April, 1992, the assault of 'criminal jihadis' on Kabul began. In less than four years, they set up a record of heinous crimes and atrocities". Some Western observes, she said, are justified in comparing their infamy with the Nazi perpetrators.

The RAWA leader termed factional leaders including Gulbuddin Hikmatyar, Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani, Abdur Rab Rasool Sayyaf, Ahmad Shah Masud, Ustad Karim Khalili, late Abdul Ali Mazari and former militia chieftain Rashid Dostum as misogynists and counted their alleged crimes against women.

The RAWA spokeswoman urged all governments, organizations and individuals clamoring upholding of democratic values and human rights to stop political, material and moral support to the Taliban and other former jihadi groups in whatever form it may be.

"To give preference to jihadi criminals over the Taliban is like beating off the savage bear but welcoming the rabid dog," said the spokeswoman. She welcomed "isolation" of the Taliban and at the same time condemned the extension of recognition to the so-called government of Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani and termed it a step contrary to aspirations of the Afghan people.

RAWA said if the UN and other Western countries really wanted to put an end to fighting in Afghanistan, they should bring the former jihadi groups under the net of economic sanctions and hold them equally responsible along with the Taliban for devastation of Afghanistan.

It further asked for political and economic pressure on all counties and governments that were continuing to assist the Taliban or their rival groups.

The spokeswoman said: "We emphatically assert that if the peace-brokering efforts of the United Nations, the Organizations of Islamic Conference, Japan or other involved countries did not stipulate disarmament of these groups and the Taliban, a rapprochement and understanding between them would be an exercise in futility."

She said coming together of these groups would bring nothing but further sufferings and miseries for the people of Afghanistan.

RAWA stages anti-Taliban rally in Washington
NNI, May 1,2000

WASHINGTON (NNI): More than 100 women activists of Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) staged a demonstration in Washington, condemning the fundamentalist take over of Afghanistan in 1992.

RAWA members, for the first time in US, held a press conference at the scene and revealed the latest reports on the atrocities by the Taliban rulers against the people of Afghanistan, in particular Afghan women. RAWA also discussed the ways which international community particularly American people and US government can assist Afghan people.

A representative from Senator Reid's (D-NV) office delivered a message to the crowed on behalf of the senator. In his message, Senator Reid condemned the Taliban atrocities and violations against women of Afghanistan.

Senator Reid commended RAWA for their leadership in struggle for independence, democracy, freedom and women's rights in Afghanistan. The Senator said: "United States must take a more active role in resolving the crises in Afghanistan. Th people of Afghanistan, especially its women and girls who have suffered so much, deserve freedom and democracy."

In a Statement by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), she thanked RAWA as the oldest women's organization in Afghanistan. She emphasized that "we should support RAWA and recognize the importance of their work for Afghan women." Congresswomen Meloney said: "To the women of Afghanistan, I say, We remember you, We will not forget you, we will fight for you!"

RAWA members in their resolution criticized US government for its support to the Taliban and Afghan jehad groups urging Washington to play its role to bring the Taliban and Jehadis leaders to the international court as the most brutal and inhuman war criminals against women.

RAWA also advised US not to give asylum to any fundamentalist as well as Parchami and Khalqi traitors. RAWA urged the US to send relief aid to Afghan people in the southern and northern provinces however the assistance should be given to the people without the least involvement of the Taliban and Jehadis.

RAWA said: "The people of Afghanistan want democracy and freedom. Women's rights can not fully be in place unless we have a democratic government. After all Women's rights are human rights. We want respect for human rights and dignity in Afghanistan. Therefore, we want to tell the world that we do not want any intervention of any country. Therefore we ask United States and the world community to recognize our struggle for freedom and let the Afghan nation take control of their destiny."

Sanctions against Taliban demanded
Dawn, April 29,2000
By Our Correspondent

ISLAMABAD, April 28: The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) on Friday called upon the international community to apply economic sanctions against the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

RAWA took out a pro-democracy procession here, from Peshawar More to Karachi Company in Islamabad, that was largely attended by Afghan women.

Participants carried banners, demanding economic sanctions against the Taliban. They also carried photographs of the wounded youths.

In a statement issued here, RAWA maintained it regarded recent pronouncements by the Russian government hinting at strikes against the Taliban as a malicious conspiracy.

It added that if peace-brokering efforts of international agencies were not aimed at disarming the Taliban and other outfits, then they would be of little use.

The participants of the procession condemned death threats issued to some RAWA members by a weekly.

RAWA observes Black Day
The Nation, April 29,2000
By Our Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD- Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) staged a demonstration in condemnation of April 28 when Soviet stoops seized power in Afghanistan in 1987, as Black Day.

Raising slogans and carrying different banners, the demonstrators in the capital city of Islamabad termed 28th April 2000 more odious than April 27, 1978. Lady activists urged all the governments, organizations and individuals claiming to uphold the values of democracy and human rights, to stop political, material and moral support to the Taliban and to the other Jehadi movements in Afghanistan.

"We strongly condemn the isolation of the Taliban, but just as strongly condemn any extension of recognition to the so-called government of Rabbani." RAWA also urged the United Nations to enforce economic sanctions against the Jehadi groups including Taliban, Rabbani and Hikmatyar and Ahmad Shah Masood. The activists demanded of UN to put political and economical pressure on all the governments and organizations involved in providing arms and funds to the Taliban government.

The activists demanded UN, OIC and Japan to help in disarming all the Jehadi groups in Afghanistan. The Jehadi gangs and their leaders will bring nothing but sufferings, misery and ignorance to the people of Afghanistan, the activists said. A pamphlet distributed by the activists reds as, "We regard the recent pronouncement by the Russians government hinting at launching strikes against Taliban bases as a malicious conspiracy."

The activists called upon all organizations and individuals the world over to extend support to RAWA urging them to desist from any direct or indirect economic or political support to the Taliban or Jehaids including Rabbani and Masood. "RAWA call on all Afghan pro-democracy and anti-fundamentalist organizations and personalities to overcome any compromising tendencies towards the religio-fascist Taliban or the Jehadis."

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