Taylor Marsh, in a commentary for the Huffington Post on a series of women-led protests in Afghanistan over controversial laws passed restricting their rights, linked to and quoted extensively from Hillary Clinton's April 5th interview with RFE/RL's Afghanistan Service (Radio Azadi). In her remarks to Radio Azadi's listeners, Secretary Clinton said that she had spoken directly to Afghan President Karzai about the law and that "our President, President Obama, has spoken about the fact it truly is not in keeping with the direction that Afghanistan has been following."
A portion of the article is reprinted below. The RFE/RL interview with Secretary Clinton is available here.
Rape Law in Afghanistan Goes Down
By Taylor Marsh | The Huffington Post
[...] It mattered to Secretary Clinton as well. From an April 5th interview with Akbar Ayazi of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, available on video, (taped in Prague, Czech Republic):
"I have been to Afghanistan three times. I have a great commitment to the future of this wonderful country. And obviously, it matters deeply that we improve communications between not only our new government, the Obama Administration, and the Government of Afghanistan - but between our people as well. Specifically with requests to your question on the new law, I was deeply concerned because I do not think it reflects the values of the vast majority of the people of Afghanistan. This was a law, as I understand it, that was aimed at a minority of a minority and it does impose harsh restrictions on women and children. I have expressed my concerns and objections about this law directly to President Karzai. And our President, President Obama, has spoken about the fact it truly is not in keeping with the direction that Afghanistan has been following. I understand there are some constitutional and other difficulties with this law, so obviously I am hoping that the leadership in Afghanistan will look carefully at it, and determine that it is not in the best interests of the people, particularly the women and children of your country."
But nothing could have made a bigger difference than the women standing up for themselves yesterday, 300-500, taking to the streets protesting their life as property. [...]
A portion of the article is reprinted below. The RFE/RL interview with Secretary Clinton is available here.
Rape Law in Afghanistan Goes Down
By Taylor Marsh | The Huffington Post
[...] It mattered to Secretary Clinton as well. From an April 5th interview with Akbar Ayazi of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, available on video, (taped in Prague, Czech Republic):
"I have been to Afghanistan three times. I have a great commitment to the future of this wonderful country. And obviously, it matters deeply that we improve communications between not only our new government, the Obama Administration, and the Government of Afghanistan - but between our people as well. Specifically with requests to your question on the new law, I was deeply concerned because I do not think it reflects the values of the vast majority of the people of Afghanistan. This was a law, as I understand it, that was aimed at a minority of a minority and it does impose harsh restrictions on women and children. I have expressed my concerns and objections about this law directly to President Karzai. And our President, President Obama, has spoken about the fact it truly is not in keeping with the direction that Afghanistan has been following. I understand there are some constitutional and other difficulties with this law, so obviously I am hoping that the leadership in Afghanistan will look carefully at it, and determine that it is not in the best interests of the people, particularly the women and children of your country."
But nothing could have made a bigger difference than the women standing up for themselves yesterday, 300-500, taking to the streets protesting their life as property. [...]