Bombs greet efforts to promote women's rights

[atimetocome]

I honor the Canadians for making the effort. And the women who bravely attend these conferences to make their lives better.



http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081203.wafghan03/BNStory/Afghanistan/home

Bombs greet efforts to promote women's rights
Deep in the Taliban's heartland of Panjwai, female members of the Canadian Forces talk to locals about security, money and health

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GRAEME SMITH

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

December 3, 2008 at 5:05 AM EST

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN — The Canadian military has launched an initiative to promote women's rights in the deeply conservative Panjwai valley, provoking debate among tribal elders about the foreign influence on their culture - and, possibly, a violent backlash.

Five bombs were planted in the roads leading to Panjwai's district centre shortly before Afghan women gathered in the heavily fortified building on Monday to sit down with female soldiers for the first session of a new shura, or council.

Invitations to the event had been widely circulated. And since the bombs came only a few weeks after suspected insurgents sprayed acid on girls walking to school in Kandahar, military officials say the bombs were likely another protest against women's programs.

"Five is an inordinately high number , a lot higher than normal," said Major Steve Nolan, commander of a mentoring team helping the Afghan army. "The fact that it was also on the day of the women's shura leads me to believe that there are forces out there trying to influence the women's shura and hoping to get it cancelled or invalidated."..................

[Greyhound]

1. Keeping women down is job #1 in any fundamentalist religion.

If over half the congregation and the sole source of new members finds their power, all is lost.

[niyad]

2. thank you for sharing this. as women's rights are under attack here, it is heartening to

see efforts in some of the most patriarchal and woman-hating regions.

[atimetocome]

3. These women are fighting a hard fight. I wish them well --for them

and their families.

[eridani]

4. The US policy there for the past 20 years has been to create a war of each against all

--which women always, ALWAYS lose.