[act-ma] "Rally to Protest U.S. Censorship of Famed Afghan Women's Rights & Antiwar Activist Malalai Joya" Wednesday, March 23rd Harvard Square T-Station, in "The Pit"

[Susan Serpa]

"Rally to Protest U.S. Censorship of Famed Afghan Women's Rights & Antiwar
Activist Malalai Joya"

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

4:30pm - Tabling at the Science Center, in the Harvard Yard
5:30pm - Rally at Harvard Square T-Station, in "The Pit"

RSVP on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=202252059799479

* Organizing meeting on Monday, March 21st, 7:30pm, at the Fireside Room,
Dudley House/Lehman Hall, Harvard University *

The U.S. Embassy this week denied famed Afghan women’s rights activist
Malalai Joya a visa to the United States for an extensive speaking tour that
was to kick off on Saturday March 19th. Americans are being denied the right
to hear from an on-the-ground activist how the war is affecting ordinary
Afghans, especially women.
Read the Afghan Women's Mission press release about it here:
http://www.afghanwomensmission.org/?p=1255

Read coverage in the Harvard Crimson here:
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2011/3/19/joya-visa-decision-harvard-chomsky/

Malalai Joya is scheduled to speak at Harvard University alongside Noam
Chomsky on March 25th (
http://www.harvardpsc.com/march-25-the-case-for-withdrawal-from-afghanistan/)
and at the First Church in Jamaica Plain on March 26th (
http://jamaicaplainforum.org/2011/02/16/malalaijoya/).

These events will be going ahead as scheduled, bringing Malalai Joya's voice
in via video-conference, if need be. Yet it is not too late to pressure the
U.S. State Department to reverse its deplorable act of censorship and allow
Ms. Joya entry into the country to speak at the approximately two-dozen
events to which she has been invited.

Please join us Wednesday for this important speak-out against the censorship
of the voice of an important Afghan woman who is critical of the U.S./NATO
war on her country.

***

In addition to attending the rally Wednesday, here are three things you can
do to help push for Malalai's Joya entry into the U.S.:

1. Sign an online petition demanding Malalai Joya be granted a visa to the
United States

Click here: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/letmalalaijoyaspeak/ to sign
the petition. Then, send it to all your friends and post it on Facebook,
Twitter, etc.

2. Attend one of the many events organized for Malalai around the country

Whether she gets to the U.S. or not it is imperative that the events go on
as scheduled. If she is unable to be physically present organizers will
attempt to have her speak to the audience via live video chat. Transform the
events into “free-speech” events, to affirm your right to hear from people
like Malalai Joya.

Details of Malalai’s tour are here:
http://www.afghanwomensmission.org/?p=1201.

3. Demand media coverage of Malalai’s Visa Denial

Contact local and national media urging them to cover Malalai Joya’s visa
exclusion. The denial of a visa to Afghanistan’s most intrepid and well
known feminist should make headlines! Point them to our press release for
details.

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/18/headlines/us_denies_travel_visa_to_afghan_activist

-- 
**********~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Susan C. Paine Serpa
Coordinator, www.JobsForAfghans.org
617-599-5195
neimpeach at gmail.com
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