Nawal El Saadawi
Nawal El Saadawi: Leftist support of Taliban is short-sighted
by Sahar Saba, Viewpoint, Pakistan, September 10, 2010
Award-winning Egyptian writer and feminist Nawal El Saadawi hardly deserves an introduction. Author of over forty books—-translated to over 30 languages—-she has inspired women all over the world but particularly in Muslim world with her writings as well as courageous struggle against obscurantism. She has faced threats to her life, was fired from job by Egyptian authorities and imprisoned, has seen her books banned, even went in exile but has been steadfast and vocal when it comes to women rights and socialism.
Sahar Saba: Osama bin Laden’s act nine years ago became instantly popular all over the Muslim world. Now after nine years, in your assessment, how has the Muslim/Arab world benefitted or suffered as a result of September 11?
Nawal El Saadawi: After nine years of September 11, nobody has benefitted from Sept 11 except global and local powers who started the colonial oil war and triggered religious conflicts in the Arab region.
Sahar Saba: The myth that this incident was self-staged by the USA remains in currency. Now privately many Muslims would even deny the existence of Osama bin Laden. Your comments.
Nawal El Saadawi: There are many myths in this world, global and local politics are built on lies, the truth will be known in the near or far future.
Sahar Saba: The attack on Ground Zero was widely hailed in the Muslim/Arab world. Osama became a poster boy. Has the consciousness towards fundamentalists in the Muslim world in general and Arab world in particular changed nine years on?
Nawal El Saadawi: People in our countries are fed up with religious fundamentalism whether Jewish, Christian, Muslim or other. Increasing poverty forces people to think of bread more than religion. But they are afraid of the aggression of religious political powers working with governments locally and globally.
Sahar Saba: As a result of 9/11, civil liberties have been curtailed in the USA. In Europe, the population is increasingly under surveillance. The Western societies are becoming Orwellian societies where Big Brother is watching you all the time. Your comments.
Nawal El Saadawi: Yes, as a result of this attack the populations in the West and the East lost many of their civil liberties, the Big Brother is watching all the time and is ready to attack any time. We live in the neo- colonial military-slave post- modern era.
Sahar Saba: The rationale for Afghan war was catching Osama and dethroning Taliban as they were harboring terrorists. How justified is this war now?
Nawal El Saadawi: The Afghan war is just a neo colonial war for economic goals like the other oil wars using religions in the battle.
Saba Sahar: There is tendency particularly inside Western left to support Taliban mere because they are fighting against the USA. Afghan women don’t see Taliban as liberators. Your opinion about characterization of Taliban as liberators?
Nawal El Saadawi: The Taliban like Ben Laden and other religious fundamentalisms are US products, they kill not only women but they kill the minds of all men and women in the name of god. They divide people by religion; they work against the people not with them. The so-called Left in the West or the East supporting the Taliban to fight against the USA is short-sighted. Women in our countries are torn between all those political groups left, right and others.
——-
Sahar Saba is an Afghan women rights’ activist. For many years, she was spokesperson of Revolutionary Afghan Women Association (RAWA). Also, she has worked with RAWA for many years in refugee camps in Pakistan and in Afghanistan in different capacities. She has traveled to many countries in the past several years to speak on behalf of Afghan women. She was born in Kabul. Her family migrated to Pakistan where Sahar Saba became active with RAWA. She has a law degree from London University and writes on issues facing Afghan women.