Sir, - The position of women in Afghanistan is finally being examined now that signs of the end of the war are emerging.
In political circles both here and in the US, the question is being asked: what do Afghan women want? The mysterious and difficult lives they have led may lead to an exclusively Western view of what is good for women. These women want, as do women everywhere, a peaceful stable life with access to healthcare and education; nothing exotic in that.
We must also ask not just about the little girls, many of whom, thanks to the determination of their mothers, had access to secret schooling during the Taliban regime, but about the little boys who did not have this secret schooling. As soon as they were capable of holding a gun, as young as six and seven years of age, they were absorbed into the fighting forces. Many were orphans and have no conscious knowledge or remembrance of what family life and parents are. We must ensure the safety and human rights of these children.
In the rebuilding of Afghanistan, a coalition of right and left, which includes many women who will choose to live a traditional life and who are potentially more representative of the vast majority of women in Afghanistan, must be included. The lives of the majority of women in Afghanistan will only be helped if the silent, secret women can be included together, not fractured by attitudes that have no relevance to their cultural history and lives.
Europe will have a significant role to play, as many Muslim women I have spoken to believe that Europeans are more knowledgeable and more sensitive to their needs (although there is plenty of room for much greater understanding). There is now clear evidence, particularly in Western countries, of a revival of Islamic identity and there is s considerable onus on us to recognise and understand this.- Yours, etc.,
Mary Banotti MEP, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2.