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A Woman Among Warlords: The Extraordinary Story Of An Afghan Who Dared To Raise Her Voice (2009)

by Malalai Joya(Favorite Author)

3.91 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

143910946X (ISBN13: 9781439109465)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Scribner Book Company

review 1: Her argument was nationalistic, pro secular-self-governance, one I did not expect. "We [Afghanistan] are not a helpless country. We have been able to manage our own affairs, and women's rights have not always been in such a terrible state. It is the policies of the big powers intervening and backing the most extreme elements in Afghanistan that have rolled back the rights of women." Joya requests US/NATO forces leave, in favor of warlord disarmament by UN Peace Keepers. Then her people will be ready for self-rule. Her opinion also states that continued 'benevolent' occupation will only breed hostility. Joya is brave to risk her life daily to speak her opinions openly.
review 2: Malalai Joya has outsized courage. She has experienced trauma and seen brutality an... mored grinding poverty on a scale we who live under stable governments cannot imagine. Just knowing that carrying a book inside your burka can cost you your life is an outrageous thought. She braved this and more to share her education. Later she used her courage on the local and world stages.It is painful to know that the perpetrators of the destruction of Kabul, those who murdered innocents and those who made and enforced the draconian laws against women came to power in a "democracy". It must be horrible for the average citizens, all who are bereaved in some way.Joya was very young to be elected to the Loya Jirgha. Was it wise to begin her tenure with such open criticism? Here in the west, it is not a way to begin a new job or be effective in politics. But, none of us is facing colleagues who months earlier ordered or participated in the murder of innocent people and the destruction of cities. How does a sane and compassionate person respond to this?If only by defining the people in charge Joya shows how corrupt and anti-democratic the leaders are. Karzai's first choice for Chief Justice told NPR that he supports beheading for un-Islamic behavior and Karzai's top drug advisor spent 4 years in a Nevada prison for selling heroin. The governor Karzai appointed to Joya's home district was believed by residents to be a war criminal, and later, believed to have attacked its orphanage and clinic. While there are no courts to prove or disprove their beliefs, couldn't Karzai find a governor with a better reputation? These are only a few examples.The US, pouring $ billions into the country, did not want to hear bad news. Good news stories about roads, hospitals and schools continue to emanate from the country. Many, like Barbara Bush, believe (or want to believe, or have a vested interest in the public believing) that all girls and boys can now go to school and that there is a functioning economy and legal system.It may be that President Obama has gotten the message. In March he made a surprise visit to give stern words to Karzai. In this book Karzai appears to be hapless. He is sympathetic listener but he does nothing. (Some say he is a user of Afghanistan's major export, and while this book does not hint of that, his behavior does.) I presume he listened sympathetically to President Obama, but when he does nothing, what will President Obama do with a country so out of control? Joya says the US should leave immediately, but also says for this to work the warlords must be disarmed... a major Catch 22.This was a very enlightening book. The specific examples she cites helps to put the pieces (left out by the media) together. The book needs and editor. Some information is repeated. Some topics need more introduction. Some of the material is presented in a way it is hard for western readers to pull context. While the qualities of the book put it in the 3 to 4 star category, I give it the full 5 stars for the specificity of the information and the courageous work of the author. less

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