# No 'real change' for Afghan women



## Yrys (31 Oct 2006)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6100842.stm

An international women's rights group says guarantees 
given to Afghan women after the fall of the Taleban in 
2001 have not translated into real change.


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## Infanteer (31 Oct 2006)

Well, you ain't going to turn a society around in a couple years, especially after a 30-year civil war.  However, this woman's group would be writing nothing if they were still stoning them to death for leaving the house or trying to learn to read....


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## Old Guy (31 Oct 2006)

Infanteer!  Surely you jest.

You know darn good and well that Dubya promised that once the Taliban was gone, all Afghanis would live a life of ease and perfect freedom.  Sheesh.  To think that folks might have to WORK to bring their culture into the 21st century -- why, why it's just -- well, I'm appalled.  Bush lied!

Yeah.  I'm getting damn tired of criticism by so-called women's groups and other so-called "Progressives" who hate Bush and America so much they'd prefer to keep millions of women (not to mention children and men) in bondage so close to abject slavery as to make no difference.

Humor is the only thing that keeps me from throat-punching every leftist terror-apologist I meet.

;(

jim


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## Yrys (31 Oct 2006)

It's usually take a generation for changes to take place...
Given Afghanistan situation, I think it may go slower....

But as a woman, I am praying that the force marriage of young 
women below 16 will stop REALLY soon. At least that.


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## Colin Parkinson (31 Oct 2006)

Well you have nutbar clerics in UK and Australia that would like to turn the clock back 1400 years, it's not surprising that Afghanistan is taking it's time. At least there are some woman that are getting a chance to work and go to school.


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## GAP (31 Oct 2006)

Yrys said:
			
		

> It's usually take a generation for changes to take place...
> Given Afghanistan situation, I think it may go slower....
> 
> But as a woman, I am praying that the force marriage of young
> women below 16 will stop REALLY soon. At least that.



I understand your sentiments, but it's the arranging of marriages to old guys (sigh) that are the problem...women are viewed as a commodity. It still happens here in Canada (largely in the Indo/Pak-Canadian community).


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## Yrys (31 Oct 2006)

GAP said:
			
		

> It still happens here in Canada (largely in the Indo/Pak-Canadian community).



It always shocks me when I learn something like that...
Two friends told me few weeks ago that there are doctors in Canada
that cut the clitoris of young girls to keep with their traditions from
abroad.

Some customs may be strange but acceptable but certainly not those!


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## Teflon (31 Oct 2006)

Those guarantees might come into effect slowly when the Taliban are GONE, they are not in power but they are still there and since NATO troops can't be everywhere many people still adhear to the Taliban's rules because in the absence of NATO troops those same taliban could show up and hand out their punishments.  Maybe Taliban Jack and his clown party have a plan to fix this when he takes the PM's office and pulls out all our troops!


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## Teddy Ruxpin (31 Oct 2006)

Some stats from the UK MOD that might be useful:

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/OperationsFactsheets/OperationsInAfghanistanBackgroundBriefing2.htm

Political: The first parliamentary and provincial council elections for 36 years were held on 18 September 2005. 53% of eligible Afghans voted – of these 43% were women. 

Economic: From a very low base after 2001, growth of 29% in 2002, 16% in 2003, 8% in 2004 and 14% in 2005. 

Education: Since 2001, nearly 2,000 schools have been built or rehabilitated and over 5 million children are in school – more than a third of them are girls. 

Healthcare: Since 2001, the number of functioning health clinics has increased by 60%. 72 new hospitals and clinics have been built.

Refugees: So far, over 3.8 million refuges have returned to their homeland – one of the biggest movements ever of people back to their homes, free from fear. 

Former Combatants: Over 62,000 former combatants have been disarmed. 

Counter Narcotics: since January 2004, Afghan counter-narcotics forces have seized approximately 165 tonnes of opiates, destroyed over 300 labs and made a significant number of arrests. Since August 05, there have been over 350 cases passed to court resulting in over 150 individuals being convicted.


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## KevinB (31 Oct 2006)

I humbley beg to differ on this article.

However I will admit that outside Kabul, M-S, and Herat not much has changed..


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## Colin Parkinson (31 Oct 2006)

Infidel-6 said:
			
		

> I humbley beg to differ on this article.



Kevin, I just can't see you Humble and begging.   ;D


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## paracowboy (31 Oct 2006)

Colin P said:
			
		

> Kevin, I just can't see you Humble and begging.   ;D


you haven't seen him at Cowboys, then.  ;D


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## TMM (31 Oct 2006)

Colin P said:
			
		

> Well you have nutbar clerics in UK and Australia that would like to turn the clock back 1400 years, it's not surprising that Afghanistan is taking it's time. At least there are some woman that are getting a chance to work and go to school.




Small improvements have already been made. A few months ago CBC aired a special report on women in A-stan, including 2 female cops, an ex-pat from Canada, and of course girls in school. Women in A-stan have not always spent their lives buried behind the burqa. Before the Taliban there were female cops and doctors. Once the region stabilises more, some ex-pats will return to help their homeland.

It is unrealistic to think that a few years can change - heck we've still got people using Imperial measurement after 30 years!


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## rregtc-etf (1 Nov 2006)

The problem stems from the radical Islamist's view on unveiled women being the "soldiers of Satan".  This view is gaining momentum in every Muslim country in the world.  

Why are Muslim women in Canada and other western countries starting to wear veils in greater numbers? They are doing it to let you know that they are choosing to separate themselves from the greater culture, their allegiance is to Islam not to Canada, United Kingdom, France or any other western country they happen to find themselves in.  Even in Muslim majority countries like Indonesia woman have recently started to wear veils, which was not previously in fashion.  Some are even referring it to it as the Arabisation of Indonesia 

In a related and reoccurring theme, an Australia Muslim "religious leader" likened unveilled women to " uncovered meat left out for the cats to eat", and asked, " who do you blame the cats or the meat ?" when referring to a woman gang raped by a group of young Muslims in Sydney Australia.  On top of that, the prison sentences received by the rapists were later criticised by some Muslim leaders

Religious fanatics just don't want to be part of the western "Great Satan" society.  They don't respect us and will never conform to western society, yet demand the West respect them and their medieval views on life.   

Don't count an any gratitude from them for trying to pull them into the 21st Century.  Accept the fact they hate western values and deal with it.


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