What stood out for me most from Peter Tatchell’s recent article was his final assertion that ‘anti-imperialism cannot be allowed to trump human rights’. (Though I should note that although I tend to agree with Norm on such issues, I don’t think all those with deep reservations about the war are knee jerk anti-imperialists, or indifferent to women’s rights, and neither do I think all pro-war types have women at the very top of their agenda.)
The F word blog has had some interesting recent posts on the situation of women in Afghanistan. The latest piece reports on a ‘green scarves for solidarity campaign’, and includes a video in which an Afghan woman argues passionately against any ‘peace settlement’ which bargains away the human rights of 50% of the population. It’s worth following the links to the earlier posts too. Here, for example, it is reported that nine out of ten women in Afghanistan are worried about the Taliban returning to government believing it would risk the gains made for women in the past ten years.
For different feminist perspectives on Afghanistan see, for example, hese pieces by Samira Ahmed, No Women: No Peace, and Sella Oneko.
