MoJo Interview: Malalai Joya

Advertisement

Advertisement

MoJo: I imagine you weren't too excited when you heard that.

MJ: In nine months, I don't know what he did for peace. In the world there are many people risking their lives—they did a lot for peace, they are living heroes.

MoJo: This summer, after the Afghani elections, it felt like people in the West started to see Afghanistan differently. Did you have faith in the electoral process?

MJ: Millions of Afghans did not attend in the election, because they know their vote, their wishes, have no voice in this election. I did not attend in the election, because we believe it is impossible for this to be a democratic election. Even international observers were talking about widespread fraud. The people of Afghanistan have a saying: The winner of this election will be the same donkey with a new saddle. And also, there is another famous saying nowadays on the mouth of my people, even the people on the streets. They say, "It's not important who's voting; it's important who's counting."

MoJo: What is the situation like now for women in Afghanistan?

MJ: In some big cities some women have access to a job and education—but the UN reported that more than 5 million girls cannot go to school. It's become an open secret. In some big cities they build schools to deceive people around the world, while the level of education remains very low, and even when they can go to school there is no security. In January, a 14-year-old girl was kidnapped by warlords and brutally raped. Her family found her body on the garbage heap of Kabul, on the street. There are many examples like this. Today's situation is as catastrophic for women as it was under the Taliban.

MoJo: Tell me about your new book.

MJ: I wrote this book first to tell the truth. And second to tear the mask off these warlords who've come to power. The tip of the iceberg of the sorrow of my people is reflected in this book. Hopefully this book will help to open the eyes and minds of great people around the world—especially in the US.

MoJo: Whom have you spoken to on your book tour?

MJ: I spoke to a group of veterans who refused to go to Afghanistan and Iraq, saying they refused to be war criminals. Now they say the war in Iraq is a bad war, and the war in Afghanistan is a good war, but what's the difference between them? Democratic people around the world cannot accept that this is a good war. This is just endless war.