A Public Forum on Afhanistan featuring Malalai Joya

A Public Forum on Afhanistan 

"Can West brings Peace and Prosperity to Afghanistan? An Afghan woman's perspective."
Featuring Malalai Joya

When:  Monday, October. 11th 4.00 pm PM
Where: Room No. 3310 Simon Fraser University (SFU) Surrey Campus, Central City, 13450 102 Avenue, Surrey 

(South of the Surrey Central SkyTrain station)

A free event, however donations are much encouraged. 

Organized by Fraser Valley Peace Council, For more information, please contact 604-613-0735

(Please see attached poster for further details)  

The story of Malalai Joya is the story of another Afghanistan. When the Russians entered her country in 1979, she was just four days old. She with her family fled and lived in poverty-stricken refugee camps until she was 18, first in Iran and then Pakistan. During studying at a secondary school in the Pakistan refugee camp, she volunteered to teach afternoon literacy classes. While her stay as a refugee in Pakistan Malali Joya, as a teenager, also did humanitarian work for various organisations in Pakistan to help provide for her family. Joya began her campaign for social and political change after returning to Afghanistan around a decade ago. Immediately after her return to Afghanistan, she started a secret underground school for girls under the brutal Taliban regime and when they were toppled, she cast off the burka, ran for 2005 elections representing Farah province and became the first ever youngest member of Afghan parliament, . She was later suspended from her position for criticizing the war-lords MP's and the the way Karzai government was handling the country. Women’s rights activist, politician and one of the bravest women in Afghanistan has received countless death threats and survived four attempts against her life but she refuses to be silenced. She lived in hiding for five years and never spends more than 24 hours at the same house. 

Malalai Joya is now an angry woman. She's angry about the war being carried out by the international coalition in her country, Afghanistan, angry about the NATO bombs that are killing civilians in their villages, angry about calls for reconciliation with the Taliban and the war lords.
 
According to her there is no difference for ordinary Afghans between the Taliban and the equally fundamentalist warlords. The recipient of various international prizes for bravery, she speaks of her commitment to defend the rights of women and children despite the threats on her life.  Malalai Joya is an inspiration for the all the peace loving individuals and groups around the world. She wants to replace bullets, blood, and tears in to peace, hopes and smiles. Malai Joya is now a household name in Afghanistan and a very well known figure internationally. She was called "Afghanistan's most famous women" by the BBC a few years ago. Last April, she was ranked among the 100 most influential people of the world by Time Magazine.

Please join us and listen to her and tell others!

In Solidarity,
Shahzad Nazir Khan
on behalf of executive and members of
Fraser Valley Peace Council
(A member organization of Canadian Peace Congress)
Tel: 604-613-0735