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Dear
Arne,
Below is a note from Sonali Kolhatkar, Co-Director of the Afghan Women's
Mission. She agreed to be interviewed for the Rethink
Afghanistan: Women of Afghanistan documentary and her experience and insight has
become an integral part of the campaign. Her non-profit works in
solidarity with the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan
to educate, serve, and empower Afghan women.
Best,
Robert Greenwald
Eight years have passed since Laura Bush declared that "because of
our recent military gains, women are no longer imprisoned in their
homes" in Afghanistan. For eight years, that claim has been a lie.
The fact is that life for women in Afghanistan has gotten worse since the
Taliban were removed from power. Once they chafed under the slavish
conditions the Taliban imposed on their daily lives. Today
they suffer under the exact same conditions, this time under the rule of the regime of
warlords put in place by the U.S.-led coalition. And in addition to this
oppression, women in Afghanistan are forced to cope with war.
Share this video with others by Digging
it and Re-Tweeting on Twitter: RT @afghanistandocu Bombs wont liberate
#Afghan women http://bit.ly/NxmBW Give RAWA $15 for 1 family's food,
blankets http://bit.ly/4BrUBm
Some well-meaning Westerners believe that the U.S. military occupation of
Afghanistan benefits Afghan women. But the truth is that American
military escalation will not liberate the women of Afghanistan. Instead,
it will bring only more war - the hardships of which are always suffered
disproportionately by women. With the risk of death outside their
doorsteps, Afghan women are confined to their homes to an even greater
extent than under the Taliban. More and more women are being forced by
war into prostitution, often for a clientele of foreign troops.
Self-immolation among Afghan women today is at an all-time high. This war
is doing more to destroy women's lives than the Taliban ever was able to.
For years, the Revolutionary Association of Women in Afghanistan has
raised funds to help relieve Afghan families from the violence and
displacement of war. There are 1,000 displaced families in a refugee camp
in Kabul. It costs US $15 per family for each to receive the minimum
relief necessary for their survival. In total, that adds up to $15,000 to
help all of these families.
A few weeks ago, Brave New Foundation supporters gave generously to
RAWA's effort to provide that relief; collectively, you gave $6,000 to
families suffering from lack of food and blankets. RAWA
needs $9,000 more to take care of ALL of these 1,000 families.
This is what your help will buy for suffering Afghan families:
- 5 kg (11
lb) ghee = $5.00
- 4 kg (8.8
lb) rice = $3.00
- 50 kg
(110 lb) flour = $22.00
- A middle
quality blanket = $10.00
- A middle quality tent carpet = $40.00
You have done a great service to Afghan families
by joining with Rethink Afghanistan to call on the U.S. government
to bring this destructive war to an end. Now
please help the families victimized by the war - give what you can.
Yours,
Sonali Kolhatkar,
Co-Director of the Afghan Women's Mission
writing on behalf of the Brave New Foundation team
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