Dear Donald Trump: Letters from Afghanistan

Discussion in 'Middle East' started by Space_Time, Jan 23, 2017.

  1. Space_Time

    Space_Time Well-Known Member

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    A remarkable woman! She should run for president of Afghanistan. Will Trump see her letter?

    http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/fe...rump-letters-afghanistan-170120114322347.html

    Dear Donald Trump: Letters from Afghanistan
    'If America can fight, it can also bring peace. America can play its role better in peace than in war.'
    AZRA JAFARI
    PAINDA MOHAMMAD
    HIKMAT
    Azra Jafari: Former mayor of Nili in Daikundi province; women's rights advocate in Afghanistan and the US

    My name is Azra Jafari. I was the first Afghan woman to serve as mayor in my nation; a position I held for more than five years from September 2008 until December 2013.

    People asked if I really wanted the position, and reminded me how difficult and dangerous the job would be for a woman. In the end, they realised how serious and determined I was and selected me for the position.

    That a woman could serve successfully in an important executive position in Afghanistan was possible only because of the strong US presence.

    Under the Taliban's rule, women were not allowed to attend school or work. We couldn't go to the hospital or travel. We had to wear the burqa.

    I know that America's decisions concerning future political and military engagement in Afghanistan will directly impact my life, as well as the lives of millions of other Afghan women.

    When the Taliban was overthrown, we had renewed hopes for our country. I married and started a family, studied and became a midwife, assisting in the birth of more than 250 babies.

    I became positive and hopeful that my daughter would grow up and attend school in her native country. I also hoped she would grow to be proud of being an Afghan and feel safe in her native nation.

    As the US presence has diminished in Afghanistan, the Taliban have risen again, along with the Islamic State. Sadly - frighteningly - after 15 years, the old fears have returned to threaten me and my young daughter, and all women and mothers in my country.

    The mothers and children of Afghanistan once again face the terrible nightmare of a lifetime of war and pain.

    Will we return to the restrictions and repression placed on society? Will terrorists and extremists once again prevent women from serving in our nation's government and police forces?

    The answer, if the Taliban, or ISIL, or some other terrorist group take hold of Afghanistan, is yes.

    The consequences of America's future actions will affect the lives of others around the globe, as they did in the 1990s, when the United States and other nations allowed the Taliban to take over my country following our civil war.

    America and other international partners have sacrificed much for the people of Afghanistan, who have so far made significant progress in education, health, infrastructure, economics, the promotion of tolerance, and a constitution addressing the rights of all Afghans, especially women.

    My country's progress, however, and its very existence, stands severely threatened by forces rushing to fill power vacuums left by our allies.

    My message to the new president of the United States is this: Hold our children's hands, and don't allow the horror of Aleppo to repeat itself in Afghanistan.

    Don't let the Hazaras of Afghanistan experience the horrors of the Yazidis in Iraq.

    Afghanistan strives to stand up, but we cannot stand alone. We need you to stand strong alongside us so that we can further improve our economy, our infrastructure, education, healthcare, and the training of professional police and army to defend us.

    All this will, in turn, support the second generation of Afghans who are educated and determined to lead the way in the future.

    America, stand with us and Afghanistan will rise as a model of peaceful nationhood.
     
    waltky likes this.
  2. waltky

    waltky Well-Known Member

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    ISIS kills 6 Red Cross workers in Afghanistan...
    :omg:
    Six Afghan ICRC workers 'killed by Islamic State'
    Wed, 08 Feb 2017 - The International Committee of the Red Cross says it is putting its work in Afghanistan on hold.
    See also:

    Red Cross suspends Afghanistan operations after six aid workers killed
    Wed Feb 8, 2017 | The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) suspended operations in Afghanistan on Wednesday after gunmen killed six employees helping deliver emergency relief to a remote northern region hit by heavy snow storms.
     
  3. Imnotreallyhere

    Imnotreallyhere Well-Known Member Donor

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    Just a quick question: why should we do this? Our first incursion into Afghanistan had a clear purpose, the capture or death of bin Laden. As time has gone on, our purpose and interests there have become increasingly vague.

    The same with Syria. Why do we care who wins the civil war there?

    Finally, is our reason for action in either place strong enough to kill for?
     
  4. Ole Ole

    Ole Ole Banned

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    So both terror organization Taliban and ISIS in Afghanistan now ?
     

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