Malalai is an inspiring name that Afghans across the country select
for their daughters. This is the name of a true heroine of
Afghanistan, who was an ordinary, simple but yet a brave woman from
Kandahar who joined her groom on the day of her wedding to fight in
the battle of Maiwand. Since then, this name was known in Kandahar and
all over Afghanistan and she became a legend for the people in
Afghanistan.
Nevertheless, the fact that there are many Afghans who continue to
select this name for thier daughters is a clear proof for the
misleading and wrong judgment that Afghans do not let their women take
part in outside house affairs, this is also a clear evidence that
Afghans truly want their daughters to follow the path of 'Maiwand's
Malalai' defending their land.
Here I want to talk about the two Malalai who are the heroines of
today's Afghanistan. The women who despite all suffering of a
devastating war, deprivation, destruction and misfortune of all kinds,
are not helpless and still continue to fight in their own ways.
One is Malalai Joya who stand in front of the warlords and those who
committed war crimes and asked for justice, knowing that she would be
killed right away. She demanded all those who killed Afghans
throughout the years of war to be brought to justice, yet she did this
right in front of them, under the same tent where the Afghan
constitution was to be approved.
Malalai won majority of votes for the parliamentary elections and she
is still continuing to live under a severe threat with several
attempts to take her life.
Malalai Kakar is indeed another heroine of today's Afghanistan who
served for years as a woman police officer in the troublesome province
of Kandahar, where she was born. Malalai Kakar, mother of six children
married her husband on her own choice. Her father and brothers were
serving as police officers, hence she was also encouraged to join the
police force.
I had the privilege of meeting Malalai Kakar in a national police
women conference in Kabul's police academy where I had a talk on
gender based violence, her performance on dealing with women's
violence issues was exceptional and her beauty as a woman would also
break this obtuse mind set among all those in Afghanistan who argue
that only devastated and helpless women who are left on the streets or
who are ugly and have no one to marry them would join the police. She
was a determined woman who was a wife to her husband, a mother to her
children and indeed a police officer serving her country. Her work on
daily basis was to support those women who were abused and victimized
by their family members or had family disputes, not only helping
women, but as a police officer she was also negotiating among the men
who had disputes on land, water or similar issues.
She referred many women who could not live anymore in Kandahar due to
their safety to Kabul and she would do whatever she could to resolve
the conflicts and troubles women were facing.
This morning the headline from BBC shocked me: ' Top Afghan Police
woman shot dead', the news was about Malalai Kakar, she was
assassinated while she was going toward her office; perhaps there were
women waiting for her in her office to be helped; perhaps she didn't
say goodbye to her kids, as she wouldn't know that the enemies of
women and humanity can not stand what she was doing...
Being from Afghanistan I am pretty much used to hear about such news
as everyday the news from my homeland talks about some one being
killed or kidnapped or blown up. But knowing about someone like
Malalai has truly broken my heart. I can not believe this news, I go
to other websites, unfortunately the news is true, Malalai has gone
forever. Another Malalai made the history of today's Afghanistan.
I understand she is not the first we lost and yet I am unfortunately
certain she will not be the last one. But I want to assure the
killers of Malalai and the whole world that what Malalai of Maiwand
said centuries back, is still remembered by all Afghan women and
girls:
Young love! If you do not fall in the battle of Maiwand,
By God, someone is saving you as a symbol of shame!"
"With a drop of my sweetheart's blood,
Shed in defense of the Motherland,
Will I put a beauty spot on my forehead,
Such as would put to shame the rose in the garden,"
If you are not won by your sons,
Afghanistan, your daughters will make you win.
Orzala A.N.
29/September/2008.
