Human Rights - Afghanistan Women

This article talks about how the women in Afghanistan and the relationship between their freedom and the U.S. troops being stationed there. The women are really afraid for the troops to leave because they think that there will be no reinforcement of the new laws and that a Taliban like group may come back. If the Taliban did end up going back the women will most like be murdered. Before the U.S. got to Afghanistan the women basically had no rights and they were treated like prisoners. If women stepped out of line their husbands could beat them, verbally abuse them and sometimes even publicly stone them. Since then women have many more rights, and they are allowed to leave their houses without wearing a burqa to cover their faces. Also, when the constitution of Afghanistan was ratified women were given more freedoms and rights, such as being able to go to school and hold political office. President Obama has not publicly mentioned the women in Afghanistan lately and it is causing some distress for afghan women because they fear that without public knowledge they will be forced back into their old roles. Women who were placed in safe houses will not be beaten or returned to their husbands after the U.S. troops leave they will most likely be killed if a Taliban like force comes back.

                I think it is unacceptable for President Obama to pull the U.S. troops out of a country that needs them there to help change the way they are living, especially since we are the ones who implemented the ratification of their constitution to ensure that women would be allowed their basic rights. It is inhuman to allow women to be beaten and stoned at all let alone publicly. I feel like we should pull most troops out of Afghanistan but leave a few soldiers over there to help ensure the government keeps getting better and doesn’t fall back under rule of the Taliban. We went over there to help change their society for the better and pulling out of Afghanistan now just because we got Osama Bin Laden is unfair to them because they are now relying on us to help them create a more humane place to live and to raise their children.

http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/02/15/afghan-women-worry-who-will-protect-our-rights-after-the-u-s-is-gone/

Concetta Katz

2/22/13 3:26 pm 

Socio 202-01