[act-ma] [UJP] Malalai Joya Events are ON for Friday, Saturday!

Thu Mar 24 22:16:12 PDT 2011

UJP: Malalai Joya Events are ON for Friday, Saturday!

MALALAI JOYA EVENTS ARE ON FOR FRIDAY, SATURDAY!
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U.S. Responds to Broad Public Campaign, Grants Malalai Joya Visa!
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The U.S. State Department today granted acclaimed Afghan human rights activist
and former MP Malalai Joya, a visa, a little over a week after she was initially
turned down. The outspoken critic of the war in Afghanistan was informed at her
initial visa interview that because she “lived underground” and was
“unemployed” she would not be allowed into the U.S. for an extensive
speaking tour, even though she had been granted visas 4 times over the past
several years.

Due to the visa denial, Joya has already missed all her events in New York and
Washington, DC and is now on her way to Boston to finish up the rest of her
tour.

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Hear Malalai Joya Speak!
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She will appear as scheduled with Noam Chomsky [1] at Harvard's Memorial Church,
in the center of Harvard Yard near the Harvard Square T stop, Friday night at
5:30 p.m.   (Location changed from the SOCH building.)   A donation of $5 is
requested.

Malalai Joya will also speak in Jamaica Plain [2] at the First Church, 6 Eliot
St. (at the Monument), Saturday afternoon at 3pm.   (Please disregard earlier
notices that this event had been cancelled.)

She will answer questions and sign books at all of her events.  

Afghan Women’s Mission’s Co-Director Sonali Kolhatkar responded to the news
saying, “We are ecstatic and gratified that the government finally did the
right thing and allowed Malalai Joya into the country so that Americans could
hear what she has to say about the reality of the war, and particularly how
Afghan women are faring under the occupation.” Kolhatkar added, “It is a
testament to the nationwide campaign that was launched by our national coalition
of organizations and individuals who worked very hard to put the events together
and to bring her to the U.S.”

The Boston Globe [3] and Harvard Crimson [4] covered a rally last night by
Harvard students, civil liberties supporters and peace activists in Harvard
Square which called for Joya to be issued a visa.

Derrick O'Keefe, the co-author of Ms. Joya’s book, A Woman Among Warlords, was
optimistic that the visa hold-up would boost audiences for her speaking tour.
“This is a victory for free speech, and I’m confident that over the next
couple of weeks thousands will welcome Malalai Joya into their communities —
Americans need to hear in-person what she has to say about the U.S.-NATO war,”
said O’Keefe.

The campaign to pressure authorities to grant Ms. Joya the visa was a
multi-pronged one. Within days of her initial visa refusal, organizers in many
states lobbied their representatives in Congress to send a letter to the U.S.
Embassy urging them to grant her a visa. Washington Congressman Jim McDermott
took the lead on signing the letter. Representatives Jay Inslee, Keith Ellison,
Peter Welch, Betty McCollum, Bill Pascrell, and Senators John Kerry, Bernie
Sanders, and Patty Murray co-signed theletter [5].

Following that an online petition [6] was set up, which has been signed by
over 3000 people to date, including well known activists and intellectuals like
Noam Chomsky, Eve Ensler, and many others. And, on Wednesday March 23rd, a
national call-in day [7] was announced, calling on Americans to flood the State
Department with phone calls urging Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to grant
Joya a visa.

While Ms. Joya was forced to physically miss all her events in New York and
Washington DC, she managed to make a presence via live video chat or recorded
video talks. She now heads to Boston to pick up the remainder of her tour. From
Massachusetts she heads to Vermont, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Illinois,
Minneapolis, Oregon, Washington, and California. Click here [8] for a full
schedule of events.

The nationwide speaking tour coincides with the paperback edition of Malalai
Joya’s book, A Woman Among Warlords (Scribner). Copies of her books will
available for sale at her speaking events.

Malalai Joya is available for a limited number of interviews during her tour.
Contact Sonali Kolhatkar (626-676-7884) or Natalie Reyes (562 319-3046) or
email press at afghanwomensmission.org.

* * *

Praise for Malalai Joya and A Woman Among Warlords:

‘The youngest and most famous of all the women in the Afghan parliament…a
powerful symbol of change’

- Guardian

‘A courageous female MP’

- The Times

‘… one of the few symbols of hope for Afghanistan’s future.’

- New Statesman

‘Quite simply the most passionate and devastating critique of Western
intervention in Afghanistan I have ever read.’

- Peace News

‘[Has] spoken her mind as few Afghan women dare to do’

- New York Times

‘Malalai Joya leaves us with hope that the tormented people of Afghanistan can
take their fate into their own hands if they are released from the grip of
foreign powers.’

- Noam Chomsky

‘Unwavering in her mission to bring true democracy to her country…Women have
been known to walk for miles just to touch her. For them, she is their only real
hope for a better future’

- Telegraph

‘Joya is a model for women everywhere seeking to make the world more just.’

- Six women Nobel Peace Prize laureates

‘Joya’s pain and bravery are genuine and can be felt on almost every page’

- Christina Lamb, Sunday Times

‘A fascinating account of Afghanistan’s political reality…Malalai Joya has
been compared to Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi’

- Irish Times

‘Malalai Joya is a staunch defender of human rights and a powerful voice for
Afghan women.’

- Human Rights Watch

‘Heroic’

- John Pilger

‘Extraordinary’

- The Independent  

		 [9]

United for Justice with Peace [10] is a coalition of peace and justice
organizations and community peace groups in the Greater Boston region. The UJP
Coalition, formed after September 11th, seeks global peace through social and
economic justice.

Help us continue to do this critical work!   Make a donation to UJP today. [11]

ujpcoalition at gmail.com [12]

            617-383-4UJP (NEW!)

            		www.justicewithpeace.org [13]

Upcoming Events: 

		Malalai Joya and Noam Chomsky: The Case for Withdrawal from Aghanistan [14]

		Fri Mar 25

		5:30pm

		Harvard University

		Cambridge (NEW LOCATION)

		Malalai Joya: Liberating Afghan Women (REINSTATED) [15]

		Sat Mar 26

		3:00pm

		First Church in Jamaica Plain Unitarian Universalist

		Jamaica Plain

		Newton Neighborhood Speak-out on the Budget: Fund Our Future! [16]

		Tue Mar 29

		7:00pm

		Newton Free Library 

		Jobs with Justice Annual Dinner 2011 [17]

		Wed Apr 6

		6:00pm

		Suffolk Downs

		East Boston

		Are Unions Good for Public Schools and the Community? Finding Solutions
Collectively to the Current Crisis [18]

		Thu Apr 7

		7:00pm

		Temple Kehillath Israel

		Brookline

		March and Rally: Bring the Troops Home Now! [19]

		Sat Apr 9

		12:00pm

		Union Square

		New York, NY

		Fund Our Communites, Not War! [20]

		Tue Apr 12

		9:00am

		Massachusetts

		Noam Chomsky and Beena Sarwar: Days of Hope and Challenge [21]

		Thu Apr 14

		7:00pm

		Boston University Law Auditorium

		Boston

More Peace and Justice Events [22].    How to Submit Events [23] 

-- 
Click here to unsubscribe from this newsletter [24]

[1] http://justicewithpeace.org/node/2451
[2] http://justicewithpeace.org/node/2441
[3]
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/03/24/in_harvard_square_calls_to_let_afghan_activist_speak/
[4] http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2011/3/24/visa-people-joya-american/
[5] http://www.afghanwomensmission.org/docs/McDermott_letter_Joya.pdf
[6] http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/letmalalaijoyaspeak/signatures
[7] http://www.afghanwomensmission.org/?p=1289
[8] http://www.afghanwomensmission.org/?p=1201
[9] http://justicewithpeace.org
[10] http://justicewithpeace.org
[11] http://justicewithpeace.org/donate
[12] ujpcoalition at gmail.com
[13] http://www.justicewithpeace.org
[14] http://justicewithpeace.org/node/2451
[15] http://justicewithpeace.org/node/2441
[16] http://justicewithpeace.org/node/2514
[17] http://justicewithpeace.org/node/2502
[18] http://justicewithpeace.org/node/2493
[19] http://justicewithpeace.org/node/2166
[20] http://justicewithpeace.org/node/2537
[21] http://justicewithpeace.org/chomsky-sarwar
[22] http://justicewithpeace.org/upcoming-events
[23] http://justicewithpeace.org/posting-events
[24] http://justicewithpeace.org/newsletter/confirm/remove/54b7b5e2b33505t74
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