Afghans demo in front of UN office
NNI, December 11, 1999

ISLAMABAD (NNI): Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) staged a protest demonstration in front of the UN office on the eve of International Human Rights Day here on Friday.

The demonstrators were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans "Down with Taliban and their foreign masters", Expel Taliban from Afghanistan" and "Long live unity and solidarity between the progressive and democratic forces and parties of Pakistan and Afghanistan".

Talking to the journalists, the chief of the RAWA, Naseema Bareen said that the women rights in Afghanistan are being trampled wince coming into power of the Taliban. She said that maltreat is meted out to the Afghan women as they are not allowed to go to schools.

The demonstrators later submitted a resolution to the UN official saying that the Afghan nations is still burning in the flames of war at a time when the world is celebrating the Human Rights Day in the threshold of the 21st century.

The resolution has accused the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan of disgracing civilized principles of political and legal liberties with their chauvinistic and fascistic attitudes. The Taliban are in no way a source of benefit for the people of Afghanistan rather they will drag the country more and more into the vortex of social and cultural devastation and economical bankruptcy through promoting poverty, illiteracy and depriving women from their basic rights in the name of Islam and Shariat.

"We have spoken out from time to time that Jehadis and Taliban are birds of a feather and are equally despised by our people and must be put in trial as the most savage war criminals", said the resolution.

The resolution strongly condemned financial or military assistance and support to the Taliban and other Afghan groups by neighbouring countries and others. "By supporting Afghanistan terrorist bands these countries prove that they are only running for their own political and economic interests and prefer such interests to the fate and future of our people and their love for freedom and democracy. And such an attitude is nothing but the worst enmity with the human rights at the scale of a country", the resolution said.

The resolution termed the Rome meeting initiated by former Afghan monarch Zahir Shah as a positive sign. It said that the UN sanctions imposed on Taliban will not have any important impact on them as they are much affluent in dollars and pounds. In fact, these curbs would affect the poor people of war-ravaged Afghanistan.

RAWA called upon all-pro-democracy organizations not to remain mere spectators to the savage violation of human rights and great tragedy in Afghanistan but raise voice against the fundamentalists and prove their sincerity to our people and particularly women in practice.

The resolution also expressed solidarity with the struggle of the freedom loving forces in Iran, Kashmir, Kurdistan, Palestine, Sudan, Asia, Africa, Latin America and other parts of the world.

Afghan women stage demo in front of UN office
Irna, December 11, 1999

Islamabad, Dec. 11, Irna -- A group of afghan women staged demonstration in front of the UN office here Friday, on the occasion of international human rights day. The demonstrators, gathered by the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), chanted slogan against Taliban and 'their foreign masters'. They carried placards, inscribed with slogans against the hardline religious militia and its policies. Speaking on the occasion, the chief of RAWA, Naseema Bareen said the agonies of the afghan women had doubled after the coming of Taliban into power. The protestors also submitted a memorandum with the United Nations, complaining that Taliban were trampling down all norms of civilized principles and were violating human rights of the people. They also condemned outside military and financial support to Taliban. The demonstrators expressed support for the efforts of former afghan king, Zahir Shah for bringing back peace to Afghanistan and said that the recent meeting held in Rome, under the aegis of the former king was a positive sign.

Afghan women hold demonstration for rights
DAWN, December 11, 1999
By Our Correspondent

ISLAMABAD, Dec 10: A group of Afghan women led by the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) organised a demonstration outside the offices of the United Nations here in connection with the observance of the Human Rights Day on Friday morning.

The group comprised young Afghani women from Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The leaders of the group presented to the director of operations UNDP Mr Richard Dictus a memorandum containing their RAWA point of view on Afghan women.

According to the two-page document, the RAWA reiterated its stand on the women's situation. It called upon all pro-democracy organisations not to be mere spectators to the savage violation of human rights and great tragedy in Afghanistan but raise voice against the fundamentalists and prove their sincerity to "our people and particularly women in practice."

The 11-point document said that for the formation of a free, independent and democratic Afghanistan, the joint striving and struggle of pro-liberty and democratic forces is indispensable. It said that this objective can only be achieved through compromise and capitulation.

The RAWA said that the women's rights are human rights. In its document, the RAWA said that if the US and other countries really want to help the people of Afghanistan, they must first and foremost impose strict curbs on those countries which continue to nurture Taliban and their Jihadi rivals with arms and money.

The RAWA severely criticised the Afghan government for human rights and women rights violations. Later the demonstrators dispersed.

RAWA want Taliban out of Afghanistan
The Frontier Post, December 11, 1999

ISLAMABAD (NNI) - Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) staged a protest demonstration in front of the UN office on the eve of International Human Rights Day here on Friday.

The demonstrators were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans "Down with Taliban and their foreign masters", Expel Taliban from Afghanistan" and "Long live unity and solidarity between the progressive and democratic forces and parties of Pakistan and Afghanistan".

Talking to the journalists, the chief of the RAWA, Naseema Bareen said that the women rights in Afghanistan are being trampled wince coming into power of the Taliban. She said that maltreat is meted out to the Afghan women as they are not allowed to go to schools. The demonstrators later submitted a resolution to the UN official saying that the Afghan nations is still burning in the flames of war at a time when the world is celebrating the Human Rights Day in the threshold of the 21st century.

The resolution has accused the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan of disgracing civilised principles of political and legal liberties with their chauvinistic and fascistic attitudes. The Taliban are in no way a source of benefit for the people of Afghanistan rather they will drag the country more and more into the vortex of social and cultural devastation and economical bankruptcy through promoting poverty, illiteracy and depriving women from their basic rights in the name of Islam and Shariat.

"We have spoken out from time to time that Jehadis and Taliban are birds of a feather and are equally despised by our people and must be put in trial as the most savage war criminals", said the resolution.

The resolution strongly condemned financial or military assistance and support to the Taliban and other Afghan groups by neighbouring countries and others. "By supporting Afghanistan terrorist bands these countries prove that they are only running for their own political and economic interests and prefer such interests to the fate and future of our people and their love for freedom and democracy. And such an attitude is nothing but the worst enmity with the human rights at the scale of a country", the resolution said.

The resolution termed the Rome meeting initiated by former Afghan monarch Zahir Shah as a positive sign. It said that the UN sanctions imposed on Taliban will not have any important impact on them as they are much affluent in dollars and pounds. In fact, these curbs would affect the poor people of war-ravaged Afghanistan.

RAWA called upon all-pro-democracy organisations not to remain mere spectators to the savage violation of human rights and great tragedy in Afghanistan but raise voice against the fundamentalists and prove their sincerity to our people and particularly women in practice.

The resolution also expressed solidarity with the struggle of the freedom loving forces in Iran, Kashmir, Kurdistan, Palestine, Sudan, Asia, Africa, Latin America and other parts of the world.

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[Photos of the demo] 
Resolution of the demonstration [English] [Persian]
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