Veiled Courage: Inside the Afghan Women's Resistance

Rating:
Summary: strange
Review: ...In the events that followed the September 11th attacks, the world was not only challenged by a growing threat from international terrorism, it was also faced with alarming reality: the gross inequality of women around the world. As a voice that has been virtually silenced since the late 70's, the plea of Afghan women have been, to a great extent, ignored by the international community.
In one of the first groundbreaking accounts about the plight of Afghan women under fundamentalist rule, Cheryl Benard - popular academic and a member of the National Security Council under Condoleezza Rice - sheds an inspiring light on the Afghan women's movement. Known as RAWA (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan), the women (and men) of this "post-modern" resistance movement have waged a clandestine attack on religious fundamentalism in Afghanistan, which has been responsible for some of the most brutal subordination of women that the world has ever seen.
Using the burqa - the very garment which was supposed to delegitimize, desexualize, and essentially dehumanize the Afghan female - the women of RAWA secretly filmed Taliban atrocities, risking torture and execution, in efforts of exposing the terror that was forced upon the people of Afghanistan. Working mainly out of Pakistan, the organization is decentralized but maintains a high degree of structure in order for RAWA to sustain its covert operations in and out of Afghanistan. As a result, these graphic images forced policy makers to rethink their approach to Afghanistan and, as well, it forced the world to respond to a tragedy, which had been hiding under the silence of the burqa.
"How could the most backward country in the world have produced one of the most daring women's movement in the world?" Benard proposes that the Taliban's implementation of "Gender Apartheid" was a direct factor in sowing the seeds of resistance. What Benard found, was not only a visceral female hate for the Taliban, but also a large dissatisfaction amongst the male citizenry whom, in many cases, were disgusted with the actions of the Taliban government as well. It was clear that the yearning for resistance existed throughout Afghan society, however the only trouble was keeping the resistance at a level of secrecy that could not be penetrated by the ever watchful eyes of the Taliban.
As Bernad explains, this was the genius of RAWA. Operating in autonomous cells, RAWA has created a vast network of underground channels of resistance. Embracing the technology of the internet, RAWA has also marketed their cause to the world, gathering massive support from Vladivostok to Vermont, even scoring an hour on Oprah.
This quote from an Afghan woman, sadly sums up what RAWA is so intent on fighting,
"Each one of our days is more bitter than you can imagine. Under the fundamentalists, a women is less than a bird in a cage. A bird at least is allowed to sing, but according to them, it is a sin for anyone even to hear our voice."
Through this book, Benard has "done a major service to Afghan women and women everywhere by letting the caged bird sing."...

Rating:
Summary: Good facts, good narration
Review: A very well-written book that provides good factual insights into the historical and operational aspects of RAWA while remaining entertaining to read. Some of the entertaining portions are those where the author's opinions shine through clearly, at times with powerful sarcasm, for instance in her description of the American press's role in perpetuating the mythology surrounding Afghan warriors.
A great, fun, and informative read. I can only recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Boring and dry.
Review: I didn't care for this book at all. I've read a few other books about women in Afghanistan and they've been excellent but this one was dry. This book reminded me of a textbook because it was so dull. I would recommend going to RAWA's website if you want more information.

Rating:
Summary: Boring and dry.
Review: I didn't care for this book at all. I've read a few other books about women in Afghanistan and they've been excellent but this one was dry. This book reminded me of a textbook because it was so dull. I would recommend going to RAWA's website if you want more information.

Rating:
Summary: Good facts, good narration
Review: This book provides less insight than the RAWA website (...), and very little background information. Not only that, but the website features RAWA's activities since Sept 11th - barely mentioned here - including its continuing fight against oppression. Nope, it wasn't the Taliban who instituted "gender apartheid" (though they wholeheartedly embraced it), and things aren't all nice and rosy now they're "gone". Women are still being arrested for walking outside without a chaperone, and being forced to endure humiliating public gynecological exams to prove their chastity; and life goes on just as it did under the Taliban. Things were bad before, bad during, and now they're still bad. Go to the website and get a clear view of what's what in Afghanistan. Now. And see what could happen if you don't actively work to retain your rights.

Rating:
Summary: Just go to the RAWA website
Review: This book provides less insight than the RAWA website (...), and very little background information. Not only that, but the website features RAWA's activities since Sept 11th - barely mentioned here - including its continuing fight against oppression. Nope, it wasn't the Taliban who instituted "gender apartheid" (though they wholeheartedly embraced it), and things aren't all nice and rosy now they're "gone". Women are still being arrested for walking outside without a chaperone, and being forced to endure humiliating public gynecological exams to prove their chastity; and life goes on just as it did under the Taliban. Things were bad before, bad during, and now they're still bad. Go to the website and get a clear view of what's what in Afghanistan. Now. And see what could happen if you don't actively work to retain your rights.

Rating:
Summary: Clumsy treatment of a serious topic
Review: This inspiring account of the work of RAWA reminds us that feminism is alive and well in the most unlikely places. Benard provides a broad enough context to account for criticism of the "communist" and "revolutionary" aspects of the movement, while offering plenty of stories and anecdotes about its heroes and martyrs. In a country surfeited with martyrs, though, the women who stand out most are the anonymous photographers, translators, teachers, couriers, and organizers, who do the hard work of democracy behind burquas and closed doors. It was also great to read about the many men who support and work with RAWA - this is a nice antidote to the bad rap Afghan men have inherited from the thugs of the Taliban and Northern Alliance. This is a great book to pass on to young people - it makes a lasting case for hope and provides a reminder of how exciting it can be to discover your own power non-violently.