2011-08-19 Malalai Joya in Australia Sept 5: Afghanistan 10 years on & why western troops must leave.

Update 1: Malalai Joya's Australian Schedule

Adelaide
Tuesday, August 30, 7pm Australian Education Union (SA), Main Hall.
Organised by Left Unity, entry by donation.
Ph Gemma 0437 714 786 or gweedall@gmail.com

Armidale
Monday, September 5, 7pm Armidale Town Hall, entry $5/$10/$20
Ph Bea Bleile 0458 752 680 or bbleile@bigpond.net.au or
New England Writers Centre 6772 7210 or newc44@dodo.com.au

Hobart
Thursday, September 1, time and location TBA. Visit sawa-australia.org.

Melbourne
Melbourne Writers Festival, September 3 & 4
Ten years after 9/11: Pakistan Afghanistan & the struggle for democracy, Saturday, September 3, 6:30pm
The pity of war: Afghanistan & Iraq, Sunday, September 4, 2:30pm.
Visit mwf.com.au.

Sydney
Friday, September 9, 5:30pm Marrickville Town Hall (cnr Marrickville & Petersham rds)
Organised by Stop the War Coalition Sydney, entry $15/$10.
Visit stopwarcoalition.org.

Sydney West
Tuesday, September 6, 3:30pm University of Western Sydney, Bankstown Campus
Organised by Stop the War Coalition Sydney, entry $15/$10.
Visit stopwarcoalition.org.

Malalai Joya – the woman Time Magazine listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world - is travelling to Armidale [NSW Australia] to present her talk Afghanistan – 10 years on on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks on the US and the coalition invasion of Afghanistan. Described as the bravest and most famous woman in Afghanistan she is a writer, feminist and anti-war activist and it is an honour to have the chance to hear her talk after her appearance as a guest speaker at the Melbourne Writer’s festival. Her first visit to Australia was in 2009, when she was promoting her autobiographical book Raising My Voice and she continues to be a voice for her own people and for peace everywhere.

Ms Joya’s teenage years were spent in refugee camps in Pakistan; she later worked as a teacher/activist smuggling books to clandestine schools beneath her burqa.

The youngest person to have been elected to the Afghan parliament, she is an unwavering defender of the rights of ordinary Afghans, and Afghan women in particular, and is a critic of the ongoing occupation of her country by Western forces and the fundamentalist forces including the Northern Alliance and the Taliban. She has also been outspoken in her criticism of the Hamid Karzai regime for its alleged corruption and lack of democracy.

Noam Chomsky has praised Ms Joya’s activist work saying Malalai Joya leaves us with hope that the tormented people of Afghanistan can take their own fate into their own hands if they are released from the grip of foreign powers.

Her visit to Armidale is being hosted by New England Writers Centre, Women In Black, Socialist Alliance New England, Peace Studies UNE, Uniting Church Armidale. Entry to her public talk will be by donation (no bookings) which can be paid at the door - $5, $10 or $20 – all proceeds will go to Malalai.

(Thanks and attribution to [correction] Lesley and Fran for that introduction above- Bitcoin donations to WLC specifying Malalai as the beneficary will be passed on.)

This post will be updated with video of the event on 5th September (and hopefully a short video interview with Malalai prior to the event.)

Aussies living in New England area NSW are cordially invited to attend. In particular, we should be increasingly concerned with our involvement in this ghastly war with our Prime Minister making repeated and highly questionable comments about 'staying the course' every time one of our sons is killed.

The human rights dimensions and stupidity of this war is palpable. General Elphinstone must be turning in his grave.

We at Wikileaks Central salute an incredibly brave woman and look forward to hearing what she has to say down under. Updates shortly.