Remember when Afghan women mattered to the politicians in the West?
Back in 2001, President Bush said: “There’s no question the Taliban is the most repressive, backward group of people we have seen on the face of the Earth in a long period of time, including and particularly how they treat women.”
Nearly eight years later, the U.S. backed government of Hamid Karzai hasn’t exactly made women’s liberation a priority. The Guardian UK reports that Karzai signed a law last month that the UN says legalizes rape within marriage and severely limits the rights of women.
Democracy Now reports the law bans women from refusing to have sex with their husbands and says they can only seek work, education, or medical care with their husbands’ permission.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was reported to have confronted Karzai on the issue in a private meeting on Tuesday.
“This is an area of absolute concern for the United States. My message is very clear. Women’s rights are a central part of the foreign policy of the Obama administration,” Clinton said at a press conference after the meeting.
Back in 2001, both London and Washington dragged out political spouses Cherie Blair and Laura Bush in a propaganda push for the war. They both spoke out about the treatment of women in Afghanistan. Where are they now?
Let’s hope the Obama Administration really makes women’s rights a priority rather than a slogan to sell a war. Because Obama is now selling us this never-ending war in Afghanistan and talking about making a deal with the Taliban. He is selling us the worst parts of the Bush Administration’s war efforts.
And this time around, I hope Obama doesn’t send out Michelle to do the PR job.