Headlines (Yahoo), November 24, 2001

ZDF Press Release

Afghan RAWA-Women awarded "ML - Women Of The Year 2001 Award"

"ML Mona Lisa" will broadcast on Sunday

Mainz, Germany (ots) - Her pseudonym is Shala and she is on the Taliban death list. The 27- year- old is a member of the underground organisation RAWA (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan), who risk their lives fighting the violent oppression of the women of Afghanistan. Shala represents this group of about 2000 courageous Afghan women, to whom "ML Mona Lisa" this year awards the prize "ML - Women Of the Year". On Saturday, November 24th, the RAWA representative will receive the award in Berlin from ML-editor Conny Hermann. The women of RAWA have risked their lives and, with the courage that springs from utter desperation, they have documented the crimes committed by the Taliban and made them known to the whole world. Hiding them under their burqas, the women smuggled out of the country video tapes showing the violation of human rights and of interviews with women whose husbands and sons were murdered by the Taliban. In secrecy, they taught and educated girls, created work opportunities for widows who otherwise would have had to beg or starve to death with their children. Now Shala represents all RAWA-women at the Afghanistan talks in Bonn.

"The women of RAWA have set an example for all human beings who, even under the most difficult of circumstances, have fought for the women's rights in Afghanistan, for a life in tolerance and democracy and against violence" says editor Conny Hermann.

This is the seventh year that "ML Mona Lisa" awards this price of "ML Frau des Jahres". Previous award winners were Marion Countess Doenhoff, Waris Dirie, Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, Beate Weber, Heffa Schuecking and Ute Leichsenring.

The award ceremony will be held on Saturday, November 24th at 15:00 at the Afghan Cultural Center in Berlin, Friedestr. 10. "ML Mona Lisa" will send a broadcast covering this event on the Sunday, December 2nd, 2001 at 18:05.

As from Monday, 26th November 2001, photos of the ceremony can be obtained via the ZDF - Bilderdienst, Tel 0049 - 6131 - 706100, as well as via http://bereitstellung.zdf.de/versand/monalisa

Ots Original text : to be recherched via ZDF on the net: http://www.presseportal.de

If you have any further questions, please contact ZDF Pressestelle at Tel 0049 - 6131/70-2120 and -2121



AP, November 24, 2001


Afghan Women awarded "Mona-Lisa"-Award from ZDF

Supporting the fight against violent oppression of Women

Mainz, Germany (AP) An Afghan underground Women's Organisation has been awarded the "ML-Women of the Year 2001 Award" by ZDF TV Broadcast "ML Mona Lisa" (ZDF is a major German TV station). A 27-year-old RAWA representative (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan) received the award on Saturday in Berlin, as broadcasted by ZDF. There is going to be an in-depth broadcast on December 2nd at 18:05.

According to the broadcasting company, the 27- year- old woman who uses the pseudonym of Shala is on the Taliban death list. She will be representing all RAWA-women at the forthcoming Afghanistan talks in Bonn. Risking their lives and fuelled by the courage grown from sheer desperation, these women have documented the crimes committed by the Afghan regime by smuggling videotapes out of the country. Apart from this, they have educated girls underground and have created work places for widows who otherwise would have been forced to beg or starve to death.

"The women of RAWA have set an example for all people, even under the most difficult of circumstances have they worked towards for women's rights in Afghanistan and against violence", said Conny Hermann, editor of "ML Mona Lisa". The award of "ML-Woman Of The Year" was this year awarded for the seventh time. Previous receivers of the award were Marion Countess Doenhoff, Waris Dirie, Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, Beate Weber, Heffa Schuecking and Ute Leichsenring.




[German Text]










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