MALALAI JOYA, “BRAVEST WOMAN IN AFGHANISTAN”

http://www.malalaijoya.com

MALALAI JOYA, “BRAVEST WOMAN
IN AFGHANISTAN”

Seattle, WA — Malalai Joya, the young
woman who the BBC has hailed as the "bravest in Afghanistan," . Joya is here
to discuss her updated memoir, co-written with Canadian activist and writer
Derrick O'Keefe, A Woman Among Warlords: The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan
Woman Who Dared to Speak Out- Simon & Schuster.

Joya’s entry visa was initially denied
because “she lives underground”, according to State Department officials. A
letter written by Rep. Jim McDermott and signed by him, Rep. Jay Inslee, Sen.
Patty Murray and six other members of Congress pointed out that she has survived
five assassination attempts, and that “In 2010, Ms. Joya was named one of Time
magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world and is widely regarded as
a rare symbol of hope for Afghanistan’s future”.

One of the few women, and the youngest,
to win a seat in Afghanistan's Parliament, Joya recounts in strong, uncompromising
language her march to activism, from her humble origins to recognizing a burning
need to bring the corrupted leaders to justice in her war-torn country." - Publishers
Weekly

Joya, now 31, is the youngest woman
ever elected to the Afghan Parliament in 2005 and is an outspoken critic of
the Karzai government and NATO occupation.

With President Obama pledged to “substantial
reduction” of US troops in Afghanistan this summer and no clear evidence of
military success against the Taliban, Joya's speaking tour release is timely.
"Afghan women like me, voting and running for office, have been held up as proof
that the United States has brought democracy and women's rights to Afghanistan
but it is all a lie,"

Joya writes. Her book tells the story
of her life in the context of three decades of war. Joya details her reasons
for opposing NATO's war and suggests concrete steps for building a genuinely
democratic Afghanistan. Today, Joya brings to a North American audience the
lessons of Afghanistan's long history of occupation resistance. She hopes her
book will "correct the tremendous amount of misinformation being spread about
Afghanistan."

"Afghans are sometimes represented
in the media as a backward people, nothing more than terrorists, criminals and
henchmen. This false image is extremely dangerous for the future of both my
country and the West. The truth is that Afghans are brave and freedom loving
people with a rich culture and a proud history. We are capable of defending
our independence, governing ourselves and determining our own future."

Peace Action of Washington is hosting
the Washington portion of the national tour. All donations collected will support
Afghan Women's Mission. To learn more visit http://www.malalaijoya.com/ and
http://www.afghanwomensmission.org/.

http://www.afsc.org