As the Taliban unleashed its terror campaign in Afghanistan, hanging four men in public square on September 25, thousands of people took action in solidarity with Afghan women in an international action led by the (RAWA), and a .
joined with the Australian Kurdish Women鈥檚 Movement, branches in Sydney and Newcastle, and Hunter Asylum Seeker Advocacy in a zoom speak-out with Afghan, Kurdish, Chilean, Sudanese and LGBTIQ+ activists. They were responding to RAWA鈥檚 call for 鈥渏ustice-loving, progressive and like-minded friends鈥 to raise their voices 鈥渇or Afghanistan and its suppressed women鈥 standing up against 鈥渋mperialism, militarism, fundamentalism and fascism鈥.
RAWA has called on聽governments to refuse to recognise the Taliban government, 鈥渨hich has no legitimacy beyond the brutal force it commands鈥, and has demanded an end to governments funding, arming and providing technical assistance to the Taliban. It also wants world leaders to support women鈥檚 resistance in Afghanistan, which includes respecting and supporting people exercising their democratic and human rights, including their right to self-determination.
RAWA said governments need to evacuate and ensure safe passage for women and men, human rights defenders, journalists, police officers, public employees, athletes and LGBTI+ people who wish to leave the country.
Sudaba Kabiri and Razia Barakzai聽sent video greetings from Afghanistan to the Sydney event. Saajeda Samaa, an Afghan Australian and coordinator of the newly formed , spoke at the event, as did Gule Rose, a co-chair of the NSW Democratic Kurdish Society.
Greetings also came from Maysoon Elnigoumi, a blogger and activist in the Sudanese community, Zeynep Korkmaz from the Australian Kurdish Women's Association's youth wing, Vivienne Porzsolt from Jews Against the Occupation, Paulina Pacheco, a Chilean journalist based in Sydney, and Mark Gillespie, a LGBTI+聽activist and 78er.
Participants agreed with the 's call on聽the federal government to offer resettlement places to at least 20,000 Afghan refugees and聽extend permanent protection to 4300 Afghans living here on temporary protection visas.
They also agreed with RAWA鈥檚 message: 鈥淣one of us are free until the women of Afghanistan are free.鈥
Video:聽Take Action for Afghanistan and support Afghan women's resistance.聽.