FIGHTING FOR WHAT?

Correct me if I am wrong. Australia sent troops to Afghanistan as part of an international force to fight terrorism. To hunt for World Enemy No.1 Osama Bin Laden after 9/11 and his Al-Qaeda killers. And to fight his protectors and fellow fanatics the Taliban. We were also committed to help build a democracy in Afghanistan with a legitimate government in Kabul. A government which would rollback the cruel and deadly ways of the Taliban zealots.

The world had virtually stood by as they treated women like second class citizens. Decreed they should not be permitted to go to school. Beat and killed them for imagined crimes against their religion. So-called decency police whipped them for wearing the wrong clothes. Made them prisoners in their own homes.

Australians troops fought and died to protect the new Afghanistan and its fledgling government. And they are still fighting and dying there.

But how much has been changed. Heroin is still the main currency in Afghanistan. The warlords still rule. Bin Laden remains protected. And the Taliban is getting stronger with assistance in Northern Pakistan.

And then you read the case of 24-year-old Parwez Kambakhsh.  He committed the crime of asking questions in a university journalism class about women’s rights –or lack of them. He was also accused of posting an article on the internet asking why Islam did not modernize to give women equal rights.

He was arrested a year ago and in January –without a lawyer -- was convicted and sentenced to death. I kid you not. This week a higher court overturned the death sentence but still jailed him for twenty years.

This is as bad as when the Taliban was in power. This is religious fanaticism gone mad. And we have brave Australians soldiers in there fighting to protect the government and those courts.

And I haven’t heard a word of protest from our Prime Minister or the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Makes you wonder what the hell we are doing there.

Friday, October 24, 2008

© Copyright Derryn Hinch 2008