http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/04/12/468/The US has Returned Fundamentalism to Afghanistan
by Malalai Joya
The following is a transcript of the speech given by Malalai Joya, member of the Afghan Parliament, given at the University of Los Angeles on Tuesday April, 10th:
In the name of Democracy and Peace -
Dear friends, first of all I extend my deep regards and thanks to the friends in the
University of California to provide the opportunity for me to be here and share my point
of view with you and inform you about the ongoing tragedy in my crying Afghanistan.
While the pro-democracy and anti-fundamentalists groups and individuals of Afghanistan are
being marginalized, suppressed and silenced, you give a helping hand to me as a small
voice of my suffering people to speak about the crisis in Afghanistan and terrible
conditions of its people. You in fact play your role in raising awareness on what is going
on in my devastated country.
Respected friends, over five years passed since the US-led attack on Afghanistan. Probably
many of you are not well aware of the current conditions of my country and expect me to
list the positive outcomes of the past years since the US invasion. But I am sorry to tell
you that Afghanistan is still chained in the fetters of the fundamentalist warlords and is
like an unconscious body taking its last breath.
The US government removed the ultra-reactionary and brutal regime of Taliban, but instead
of relying on Afghan people, pushed us from the frying pan into the fire and selected its
friends from among the most dirty and infamous criminals of the “Northern Alliance”, which
is made up of the sworn enemies of democracy and human rights, and are as dark-minded,
evil, and cruel as the Taliban.
The Western media talks about democracy and the liberation of Afghanistan, but the US and
its allies are engaged in the warlordization, criminalization and drug-lordization of our
wounded land.
more...