February 4th coincides with the 31st anniversary of Meena’s death, the founder of RAWA. The awful enemy strangled a woman who was a defiant icon of freedom fought against the aggression of Russians and the fundamentalist criminals. RAWA members, and other democratic and liberation movements within Afghanistan still bereave the loss of a strong and wise leader, yet we continue to fight for liberty in her name.
Despite the sizable presence of conscious-raising women in Afghanistan’s progressive and pioneering movement of 70s and 80s, women’s issues and their emancipation was marginalized and failed to be debated seriously by the democratic circles and organizations. Despite this, Meena and her colleagues were of the belief that women are integral part of any political and social movement in the fight for social changes provided these “sleeping lions” get the awareness and move forward.
Moreover, Meena was completely aware that women’s emancipation couldn’t be separate from the liberty of all human beings from injustice and oppression. Therefore, she laid foundation of RAWA in 1977 under the slogan of freedom, democracy and social justice. For four decades, RAWA continues to stand alongside Afghanistan’s innocent people and expose the filthy faces of lackeys of foreign countries, the Jehadi criminals and their intellectuals.
Dear compatriots,
Today, 31 years after Meena assassination, we stand alongside her mourning, the loss of thousands of innocent lives at the hands of blood-thirsty Jehadis, Taliban, ISIS and their American/NATO masters. While our people are torn apart into pieces at every nook and corner, the dominant mafia in and outside the government are vying for power. And among all, Gulbaddin, the “butcher of Kabul”, who looks to have found this battle field empty is bluffing in media and shamelessly denies the suicide attacks he recently orchestrated and the heinous crimes committed during the civil wars in 90s. Similar to his Jehadi brothers such as Sayyaf, Younis Qanoni, Abdullah, Mohaqiq, Bismullah, Karim Khalili, Sarwar Danish, Atta, Salahuddin Rabbani, Zia Massoud and others, he rests under the wings of the US and has built up his throne over the ruins of Kabul.
During all these years, Jehadi and Taliban thugs and a bunch of their intellectuals made all efforts of trying to slander RAWA’s unwavering struggle. This empowered us even more to stand behind the truth of our slogans and efforts, knowing that Meena has left behind a legacy of a strong and united organization that can never be snuffed out.
Meena’s followers and her students reassert their commitment to stand firmly by the path drawn by her pure blood, and will never stop carrying out this big and crucial task. The insane enemy buried her glorious body beneath the earth without knowing that she was a seed of which a freedom sapling has grown and has now turned into a giant tree that Jehadi fundamentalists can never bring down.
We swear once again to beloved Meena’s memory and her epic that will revenge her blood by continuing her path without any compromise.
Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA)
Feb.4,2018