The Favored Daughter (35 page)

Then the mujahideen cloaked themselves in nationalism. They were the liberating heroes of our nation and while all Afghans are proud of their long and tenacious victory over the Soviets, the mujahideen's grasp for personal power turned into civil war and nearly destroyed my country. It was their infighting and the chaos that followed it that opened the door for the Taliban.

The Taliban strove for a kind of great backward leap, propelling Afghanistan into a medieval era of Islamic conservatism and hyperbole barely seen in the history of the world or in Islam.

Little, if any, thought was given to the ambitions, hopes, and welfare of ordinary Afghans. Ironically, it was perhaps the Soviets who got closest, building hospitals and learning institutions to improve people's lives. But that was about a hegemonic pacification as a means of achieving a larger strategic goal, not the enrichment and development for the greater good of a diverse people who call Afghanistan home.

Ordinary Afghans, be they Pashtu, Takjiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, Aimak, Turkmen, or Baluch, have hopes for this country. Unfortunately for far too long they have had leaders who are only interested in serving themselves, and in many ways that is still true to this day.

The average Afghan politician has the attitude that once they come to power their office and authority is a personal plaything, whether it is giving influential jobs to friends and relatives who are completely unqualified for the position, or enriching themselves through bribes and outright theft. The last thing on their minds is the welfare and happiness of the people they are supposed to represent.

Nepotism is rampant in Afghanistan's political system. Family and friends are incredibly important in my country, just as they rightly are everywhere. However, our politicians have yet to realize that public office is about public service, not giving your nearest and dearest key positions in the administration. It is wrong, even when such appointments are well intended, for example: “I need someone I can trust. Well, who better than my cousin/nephew/old family friend?” It is not the way to run an effective government and is a catalyst for worse corruption. The new staff does not bring the desire to serve their nation with them. Instead, their loyalty lies with the person who hired them. Decisions are taken on the basis of what's best for each other, not what's best for the people. Accountability and transparency break down, and the fundamentals of good government are cast aside.

Sadly, while most Afghans dislike the way our government runs, many are accepting of it. Expectations of political leaders are low, and all too often dissenting voices can be bought off with a job, a contract, or maybe just cash. And if they can't be bought off? Well, sadly my country is a dangerous place. People die here all the time, and very few of the murders are ever solved. Much is written in the world media about the kidnapping of foreign aid workers, a rare but very unfortunate occurrence. These people have come only to help us and my heart weeps every time one of them lays down their life for a country that isn't even theirs. But what the media do not report is how commonly Afghans are kidnapped. Every rich businessman in our country knows someone who has been kidnapped for ransom. Even small children are not safe from the kidnap gangs who want their parents' money. Therefore most of the Afghan business people who hold dual passports have fled the country, creating a massive brain drain.

And that won't change until the system changes, and by that I mean the people whose job it is to run the country must start to do things for the right reasons. A person should be involved in public service only if they truly want to serve the public. If all our politicians and government officials were to adopt this mindset, there's no limit to what could be achieved. The billions of dollars of aid and development money that has been poured into Afghanistan would go where it is actually needed. The contract to do the work would be performed by the contractor best able to perform the service, not the one who pays the biggest bribe. The police and army would be solely loyal to their uniform and to the nation it represents, not to a corrupt boss. Local governors would diligently and honestly collect taxes and duties and deliver them to the central treasury. The central government in turn would see that the money gets spent wisely and efficiently on the ministries and projects the politicians have designated. And the politicians are beholden to listen to, and act upon, the wishes of their constituents.

I don't wish to sound politically naive at this point. All governments have their problems. But the best governments have mechanisms for improvement. That requires parliamentary inquiries where the members are free and willing to investigate and present their findings in an honest way. It requires a judiciary that can act independent of influence, and has the teeth to fight off any corrupting pressure. It requires a police force disciplined and proud enough to refuse committing petty larceny, and bold enough to investigate any level of criminal activity, no matter who is implicated.

So where does one start in a country that has the dubious honor of being rated one of the top three most corrupt countries in the world according to Transparency International's World Corruption Index? I believe it has to begin with the opposition. Only when there is the political will to listen to the people and act on their behalf with honesty and integrity can things begin to improve in Afghanistan. This is my personal opinion, but it is one formed by talking to hundreds, maybe thousands of ordinary people. Many Afghans have given up hope, or maybe resigned themselves to never having an honest government. They have been fed a diet of rubbish politics for 30 years, so it's no wonder the political health of this nation has suffered. As a country we are politically malnourished, and our growth has been stunted as a consequence. This is beginning to change, though. There is a rare breed of politicians who are listening to the electorate and acting with honesty and integrity. And in doing so they are winning the respect and trust of the people.

So much of Afghanistan's success as a democracy hinges on two things. The first is education. All people, all children, both boys and girls, must receive a decent, affordable education. They need it for their personal future, but they also need it to make informed decisions about the future of their country. The second is security. There needs to be law and order so that ordinary Afghan families can build their lives safely and in peace. And when it comes time to elect a government they need to feel safe both during the act of voting and in the knowledge that their vote actually counts. Afghans generally want the opportunity to elect their leaders. They don't, however, yet know what it means to have free and fair elections.

If a genuinely democratic government can be established then I hope that given time, all aspects of government, including the security forces, will form the backbone of a stable, free, and just society. There is something of a chicken and egg argument here. Does security produce better government? Or does good governance produce security? The answer is probably both.

And what about the Taliban, who stand for both and neither at the same time?

As I write this book, the world's powers are talking about withdrawal from Afghanistan. In my view, they are planning to withdraw before the job is finished and while war and conflict still blight our land. This conflict could at any point explode on an international scale. The warning that the great Ahmed Shah Massoud gave the West that terrorism would come to its shores is more relevant than ever. Unless our international friends start to work on a wider regional approach to tackle the Taliban issue, then the dangers to the world remain.

Recently, there have been many talks about Taliban reconciliation and reintegration into the government. Much of this process has been led by the international community and its purpose is to serve the agenda of withdrawing their troops as quickly as possible. But that is a mistake. It is another shortterm quick fix that will do nothing to solve the world's problems, only store them up and make them worse for another day.

The Taliban will argue that their form of conservative Islam is the only form of government Afghanistan needs, and that they alone can bring stability to the country. But they've proven through their interpretation of education and health care policy that at least half the population suffers greatly under their rule. And their views on security and justice bear no resemblance to what most people want or expect. Should they be given a political voice? I suppose under the type of democratic system I believe in everybody has a say in politics. But that is the point—politics is about talking, reasoning, and persuading. It is hard to see how the Taliban will ever sit in a parliament alongside female politicians like me. I have just won a second term in the parliament and received even more votes than I did the first time. Like my father before me I am proud to say I am known as an honest politician who is not afraid to speak out when needed. I believe the Afghan public now sees me as a politician first and a woman second. This is something I am extremely proud of.

Yet the Taliban will never accept this and they make regular attempts on my life and on the lives of many other intellectuals, opponents, and friends of the West. Are these people who will ever understand or respect what democracy means? I doubt it.

Will they sit in debates with us and try to reach a common ground? Will they support new legislation or ideas put forward by me or other women? The answer is no. And it is naive of the international community to think this is possible. So much has been done in recent years to support and enhance the overall progress of Afghan women; bringing the Taliban back into the government will undo all of that.

As I drive through Kabul, I always smile when I see the beautiful sight of little girls dressed in the school uniform of black
shalwar kameez
and white head scarves. Within the past decade, hundreds of thousands of little girls, including my own daughters, have gained the opportunity to be educated. This not only gives them the chance of a future but also improves the future economic and physical health of their families. This in turn helps our entire nation grow stronger and powerful. If the Taliban returns, these little girls will once again be forced back indoors and silenced underneath their burqas and a set of arcane laws that accord women fewer rights than dogs. Our nation will once again slide backwards into darkness. To allow this to happen would be a betrayal of the highest order.

In October 2010, I won a second term in the parliament. I had not let my people down and, despite widespread fraud and cheating on the part of some of my opponents, I got even more votes than I did the first time.

I was also thrilled that my elder sister Qandigul (known as Maryam to her family) was elected as an MP. She is the sister who was beaten by the mujahideen the night my mother refused to show them where my father's weapons were hidden. She was illiterate and did not attend school as a child (I was the only female member of my family allowed to do so). But after she married and had children, she watched as I gained my education and saw what I had achieved. She too wanted to serve our country and do something important with her life, so she decided to educate herself. She started by going to night school to take computer and literacy classes and a few years later she graduated with a university degree. Now she is an MP like me and the latest member of the Koofis to take her place in the family business of politics. I am immensely proud of her achievements and I know she will work hard in her new role.

During the latest elections, there were even more threats on my life: gunmen trailing my car, roadside bombs laid along my route, warnings that I would be kidnapped. On the day of voting, two people were arrested who admitted that they had planned to kidnap me, take me to a different district, and then kill me. It was reported that they had links to other local politicians, but the politicians denied any involvement. One of the men has since been released while the other remains in custody. I cannot explain why one of these men was released without charge after admitting his evil project. I can only say that due to my outspokenness, I cannot always rely on our national security forces as much as I would like. Often I don't know who my would-be assassins are, whether they wear civilian clothes or official uniforms. At times in Kabul, I have had my car pulled off the road and been intimidated by our national intelligence forces, always without reason or explanation. This has become such a daily part of my life now. I will not say I am used to it—no one can ever get used to such threats—but I have learned to live with it.

Like my father, I am not afraid to speak out on difficult issues when needed. I have proven that I can deliver services and direct funds to those in need. Of course, the people I represent are still among the world's poorest and much work still needs to be done.

But I know I have improved their lives by bringing them roads, schools, jobs, and mosques. Recently I championed the building of a series of women's mosques in some remote and very conservative villages.

The mosques are a place to pray, and no man would deny his wife the chance to leave home for an hour a day to worship God. Sometimes it is the only opportunity these women have to get out of their homes. The mosques will make other services accessible to women. In these centers of religion, women can now get advice on nutrition and hygiene or take literacy classes. Just one building like this can transform the dynamics of a poor village almost overnight.

Today I am probably the best known of all the female politicians in Afghanistan and am extremely popular with the public, both men and women. My supporters have suggested I run for president. I will not lie and say that the role of leading my nation is not something I would love to do. Of course I would. Name me a serious politician anywhere in the world who wouldn't want the top job if offered it. And I know it is a job I am capable of doing well. But in truth, I do not think the time is right. I don't think my country is ready to accept a woman in this role. Of course, I hope this will change one day. Until recently, no one thought a black man could be president of the United States but it happened. Other Islamic countries have had female heads of state. Megawati Sukarnoputri was president of Indonesia from 2001 to 2004; Begum Khaleda Zia was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh; in neighboring Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto was also prime minister and was on the verge of being elected president when she was killed. I think about my early political heroines, Margaret Thatcher and Indira Gandhi. They are women who are remembered not for their gender but for their policies and their strength as leaders. And I know it could one day be possible in Afghanistan.