Afghanistan Victory Day

 

 April 28, 2010

Victory Day is Celebrated

in Afghanistan

  

 

It is the day all Afghans remember as the day of liberation from the oppressive regime that had so far ruled them, which fell due to the withdrawal of the Soviet Union’s army that had so far supported it.

    Kabul 

The 1989 to 1992 phase of the civil war in Afghanistan began after the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, leaving the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan to fend for itself against the Mujahideen. After several years of fighting, the government fell in 1992.

It was on this day in the year 1992

that the Regime of Najibullah came to an end,

and ‘Change’ began…..

More about the importance and what it means to the people of Afghanistan, can be understood only if we look at the History before that Fateful Day.

Victory Day History

The Marxist People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) came into power after the Saur Revolution which put an end to monarchy in Afghanistan only to create a new problem. The reforms that this government bought on were on lines of communism which was not well received by the people. Since cancellation of farmer debts and abolition of land usury would have helped the farmers but the more powerful landlords and tribe leaders resented them. Also these changes affected the Traditions of Islam. This caused dissent among the people and a Resistance was formed against the government known as the Mujahedeen Resistance.  The Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union was also in full swing at that time. Since the policies of the Afghanistan government was in tune with Communism,  the Soviet Union supported them. The United States and various other countries supported the Mujahedeen Resistance, causing a raging civil war inside the country.

This was a serious blow to the government and they [PDPA],  requested military help from the Soviet Union which responded in favor and on December 7, 1979 it invaded Afghanistan.

The invasion was complete on December 28, 1979,

 with the Assassination of

President Hafizullah Amin.

The Resistance grew both in support and in strength with heavy inflow from foreign aids.

Finally the Soviets were driven out

with heavy causalities on their side, due to the

Guerrilla Warfare the Mujahedeen followed.

The troops withdrew from the Afghan Territory in phases and left the country in 1989. Even then the Civil War remained in a stalemate. The Puppet Regime that the Russians had set up was largely ineffective and weakened the PDPA’s divisions. 

But the Party maintained its hold on power until April, 1992 when the Mujahedeen were able to depose it and set up a new governing body.

 The results of the civil war affected the citizens the most….

Rise and Fall of Taliban … et al

 

Taliban, a movement of religious Islamic Scholars,

emerged from the southern Afghan

State of Kandahar. 

By the end of 2000, the Taliban took approximate 90% of Afghanistan under their control and

 

cornered the Mujahedin Warlords in the northern part of the country.

Fearing for life, the opposition

formed the Afghan Northern Alliance.

WOMEN are Suffering Beyond Belief…..Still!

May they find some PEACE…?

“In Afghanistan, 28 million people are free.

They have their own president, they have their own parliament. Improved a lot on the streets,” Donald Rumsfeld says in the October issue of GQ magazine.
AP, Sep.10, 2007:

RAWA: “He is probably right, Afghan women are free to commit self-immolation and beg in the streets, warlords are free to commit any crime, kidnap and rape women, loot people and do drug business. We have a parliament full of drug-lords and human rights violators, we have a President who is called by media as “Mayor of Kabul”.

Women protest Family Law (2007) ~~~ Progress ?

(According to UNIFEM, 65% of the 50,000 widows in Kabul see suicide as the only option to get rid of their miseries and desolation. – Isn’t it a real FREEDOM?!) 

Back into the History…”It was this war that resulted in the formation of groups like Al-Qaeda (above) which have become terrorist groups.

“The Afghan Casualties of this War

exceed a million and it left the country in ruins.”

The people were very relieved as and when the war had come to an end. This war had resulted in the liberation from a communist government only to leave the country in ruins.

Retaliating to September 11, 2001 attacks on its Homeland,

the United States invaded Afghanistan with its allies, to topple the Taliban government. 

The Taliban were ousted and Hamid Karzai was elected the president in the first ever Presidential Election in Afghanistan.

Hence,

April 28 marks the culmination of nurmerous sacrifices and a period of history that saw the violent victimization of millions of Afghans, the destruction of the country’s economic foundation and the displacement of more than a third of the country’s population,

the Afghanistan Victory Day!

Today in 2010,

almost one-fourth of the

Afghan Parliament is Female.

President Hamid Karzai also has selected

Three Women as Members of his new Cabinet. 

 

 

Afghan women attend at a gathering to mark the 8th of March, the International Women’s Day in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, March 7, 2010.

 

 

And while the Afghan government expects more than 3.2 million girls to enroll in school this year, the country’s acting Public Health Minister Suraya Dalil says improvements are needed to ensure their future wellbeing.

 

Afghan independent human rights watchdogs have said that efforts must be redoubled to combat gender violence, forced marriages and a lack of education amongst women in Afghanistan.

Also this year, the Afghan government, along with its international partners, is launching a new mortality study. Dalil participated in the last study in 2002, which she says uncovered some shocking results.

Anarkali Honaryar – WOMAN of the YEAR (2009)  ACTIVIST.

May 17, 2009- RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan has named Anarkali Honaryar, a 25-year-old dentist and human rights activist, as its Person of the Year. The annual award goes to an outstanding individual whose contributions to democracy and civil society have had a significant effect on Afghanistan’s effort to rebuild. Honaryar was chosen for the award by a panel of more than 30 Afghan journalists, civil society activists, and human rights advocates.

An Example of the Life in Afghanistan today…..

There is still some History to Clean up; yet, with a little more diligence, faith, moral fibre, sincere intention and more Women in Parliament, there’s always HOPE!

A Celebration of Women presents this Tribute – Without Prejudice. 

As a “Non-Partisan Organization”, working for World Peace and Gender Equity, we stand for co-operation among all Nations and do not have an opinion on any actions of control, defence, destruction, offence or  otherwise of any government, individual or NGO. 

Our efforts here, with our Tribute, is to acknowledge the Women of Afghanistan and make only one statement:

 “A Celebration of Women prays that a mutual “meeting of the minds” is achieved among all Nations; and that Women are treated with dignity and respect, equal among Men.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Celebration of Women

is Hopeful and Keeps the Faith

for

Gender Equity-Complete Victory, 

with the

Women of Afghanistan

….find a Moment of Peace,

this Victory Day!

____________________________________________________

RAWA:  http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2007/09/13/lifting-the-veil-on-afghanistan-life.html

Anarkali Honaryar:  www.rferl.org/ 

RAWA-DEATH IN CHILDBIRTH:  www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2008/04/30/death-in-…