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:
Ms. Joya, who was named one of TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2010, was set to begin a three week U.S. tour to promote an updated edition of her memoir, A Woman Among Warlords, published by Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.Colleagues of Ms. Joya's report that when she presented herself as scheduled at the U.S. embassy, she was told she was being denied because she was "unemployed" and "lives underground." Then 27, Joya was the youngest woman elected to Afghanistan's parliament in 2005. Because of her harsh criticism of warlords and fundamentalists in Afghanistan, she has been the target of at least five assassination attempts. "The reason Joya lives underground is because she faces the constant threat of death for having had the courage to speak up for women's rights -- it's obscene that the U.S. government would deny her entry," said Sonali Kolhatkar of the Afghan Women's Mission, a U.S.-based organization that has hosted Joya for speaking tours in the past and is a sponsor of this year's national tour.
The only possible reason the U.S. Government has for denying her visa is the following:
Joya has also become an internationally known critic of the U.S.-NATO war in Afghanistan. Organizers argue that the denial of Joya's visa appears to be a case of what the American Civil Liberties Union describes as "Ideological Exclusion," which they say violates Americans' First Amendment right to hear constitutionally protected speech by denying foreign scholars, artists, politicians and others entry to the United States.
It is outrageous that the United States Government has denied this Human Rights Activist and Afghan Member of Parliament a visa to visit the United States!
Please sign this petition, and then urge your member of Congress and Senator to sign this letter already drafted by 6 members of Congress and 3 senators:
HURRY! Her time is running out!!
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Tags: Afghanistan, Malalai Joya, visa denied
"Home of the brave"...well, everyone except Ms. Joya I guess. And she only wants to visit, not to stay! Please allow Ms. Joya her visa, the only way the US will be harmed is if her words cannot be heard.
Totally agree, Denise!
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