For Immediate Release


Thursday, September 13th, 2001

CONTACT:


info@afghanwomensmission.org


www.afghanwomensmission.org

Press Release

The Afghan Women's Mission strongly denounces the acts

of cruel violence committed on September the 11th,

2001, resulting in the loss of thousands of American

lives. We join the country and world in grieving for

those who were killed in New York, Washington DC and

Pennsylvania.

However, we strongly urge the US Government and it's

allies to not carry out military attacks on

Afghanistan in retaliation for these violent acts.

Afghanistan is a country devastated by more than two

decades of war, starting from the late 1970s when

fundamentalists called the Mujahadeen, armed and

trained by the US government and other countries,

fought the Soviet occupation of their country. After

the Soviet withdrawal in the early 1990s, in-fighting

between the various Mujahadeen groups resulted in the

destruction of most of the infrastructure in cities

such as the capital Kabul. When the fundamentalist

Taliban took over most of Afghanistan in 1996, the

situation only worsened for Afghans. As we all know,

the Taliban are the most repressive government in the

world today, and do not represent the Afghan people.

Afghans have been suffering the results of extreme

war, poverty, disease, hunger, lack of education,

health care and shelter for too long. Afghans comprise

the second largest refugee group in the world today.

In addition, there are millions of internally

displaced Afghans who are living on the edge of

survival throughout the country. To attack

Afghanistan now would be to attack a weak and

defenseless people who have no control over those that

rule them with violence and terror. While we insist

that those responsible should be identified and tried

in a court of law, we urge the United States

government to not answer violence with violence.

The Afghan Women's Mission also urges our fellow

Americans to remember the values of freedom and

respect for diversity that make this country great. We

need to remind each other of the reactionary backlash

towards Americans of Japanese descent who were

unfairly targeted in 1941 after the bombing of Pearl

Harbor. In the wake of the tragedy on September 11th,

let us treat each other with respect and dignity,

regardless of national origin or religion.

The Afghan Women's Mission works to support long term

positive change in Afghanistan via health and

educational projects.