Afghan women still in chains under Karzai

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.afgha.com/?af=article&sid=47622

Sunday Herald
23.01.2005
Ramita Navai

Sharifa Daadekhoda’s two-year-old daughter, Krishma, has never seen the outside world. She was born in prison and she’ll be at least three when she is released. Her mother’s crime? Running away from home.

Sharifa was 12 years old when she was forced to marry a 30-year-old man. He immediately began prostituting her, but Sharifa was too ashamed to tell her family and he would beat her if she complained.

After three years she gained enough confidence to run away but was caught 15 minutes from her parent’s house by the Taliban. As a woman travelling on her own, unaccompanied by a male family member, she was committing a crime.

When the Taliban realised she was also fleeing her husband she was instantly imprisoned. She was released after six months but forced to return to her husband.

A year later she fled and was caught again, receiving a longer sentence – only this time her captors had been installed by the American-led coalition. In President Hamid Karzai’s Afghanistan, women are still imprisoned for running away from home.

more

[PA Democrat]

1. Funny how no one in the Bush administration is talking about

freedom or equality for the women of Afghanistan any longer.

[agincourt]

2. Gosh almighty,

Where's Laura Bush to make a big stink about this? We're waiting to hear from her soon.

[Moderator]

3. duplicate topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1175244