I am happy to return as a reader of the Link and pleased to see the excellent writing diversity, sharp formatting, and outstanding editing of the e-publication. Personal kudos and gratitude to you.
There are three opinions in the September 3rd issue that I found of interest. First to catch my attention was Prof. Hoodbhoy's piece on the new face of Afghanistan which has yet to emerge with clarity as to future policy and practices. Hoodbhoy sahib cautions against rushing to judgment. My take is that the present commotion needs to be given time to settle and for the "leaders" to get their act together; conflict refugees need the humane assistance of immediate neighbors and all countries that can help; and the people of Afghanistan deserve global assistance to rebuild an orderly society.
Second, the Op-Ed by Aslam Abdullah sahib draws focus on the worldwide patriarchal culture which suppresses women's rights for equality. The suppression of women varies by degrees, from extreme to moderate, but very few societies or nations can identify as being truly equal for both genders. Enormous work remains to be done to correct this universal imbalance. I feel it must start with the education of our young boys to respect women as true equals in all spheres of life, and with adult males accepting their role as ideal examples for the young in showing courteous deference to women. I am in agreement with Abdullah sahib that, to restore human dignity, women must demand their independence and "challenge the religious texts that restrict their freedoms".
Third, the column by Prema Rahman Sahiba brings home the point that news coverage of the recent events promotes an image of the Afghani people as "powerless victims". But I feel the Afghani people have been awakened. The Afghani women know what they want: freedom to make their own decisions and good education for girls (and boys too). In a few weeks, the fickle news cycle and its producers will move the Afghan stories to smaller, less prominent spaces in their periodicals. As it happens with time, this too shall be forgotten. But everything in life is 'politically negotiable' through compromise and give-and-take, without war or confrontation. Before economic assistance is doled out and political recognition is granted, the peacekeepers must ask the Afghan leaders for evidence that governance will include women, and that equal rights and social justice for women will be the law of the land--just as it is in other Muslim-majority countries including Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, and most of the modern Middle East. It would behoove these Muslim-majority countries to collectively demand such a documented treatise from the Afghani leadership in exchange for political favors.
