Malalai Joya: on the 10th Anniversary of NATO in Afghanistan

According to the Afghanistan Rights Monitor, in 2010, seven civilians were killed everyday.  The U.S. and NATO tell us they will leave Afghanistan by the middle of 2014, but on the other hand they're talking about permanent U.S. military bases in Afghanistan.  They will not leave our country soon.  They are there for their own strategic regional and economic interests.  That is why they want to change Afghanistan into a military and intelligence base in Asia.

The Western governments not only betray Afghan people, they betray their own people too.  They are wasting their taxpayer money and the blood of their soldiers by supporting a war which only safeguards the interests of the big corporations and the criminal Afghan warlord rulers.

I think democracy never comes by military invasion.  Democracy without independence and justice is meaningless.  It is only the nation who can liberate themselves.

I believe that the only solution to the catastrophic situation of Afghanistan is withdrawal of all of the troops from our country because their presence is making much harder our struggle for justice and peace, by empowering the reactionary, dark-minded terrorist groups who are great obstacles to true democratic-minded elements.  If honestly they leave Afghanistan, the backbone of fundamentalist warlords and Taliban will break.

I hope one day Afghanistan also will see a glorious uprising like in Middle East countries.  Right now we are witnessing small uprisings in some provinces in Afghanistan like Herat, Kunar, Nangarhar, Mazar-e-Sharif, Farah, Kabul, and many other provinces, which is a big source of hope for the bright future of Afghanistan.

Malalai Joya is a former Afghan MP and human rights activist.  She is the author of A Woman among Warlords.  Joya recorded this message on the tenth anniversary of the war and occupation of Afghanistan.