Afghanistan

I read a depressing article last week which made me stop and think - whether  Afghanistan has been worth all the sacrifices people have made - since the days of the Taleban.

Because the story involved a young 19 year-old woman - Gulnaz - who was raped and made pregnant by her attacker - who was duly reported to the police.

But instead of receiving any help from the authorities - Gulnaz was charged with adultery and sentenced to 12 years in jail with her infant daughter - in Kabul the Afghan capital.

The judge who sent Gulnaz to prison said that she would be released early from her 12 year sentence - if she agreed to marry the man who attacked and raped her - her attacker was also jailed.

After spending 18 months in jail with her infant daughter - Gulnaz finally relented and gave in to this despicable blackmail: "I had no choice", she said. "I did it for my daughter". 

Supporters of Gulnaz commissioned a film to highlight this terrible abuse in Afghanistan - where women have the status of cattle - yet the documentary will not be shown because of fear of reprisals.

Now that may be the reality on the ground.

But it does beg the question:

How can all the fighting and huge resources poured into Afghanisatan be justified - if a young woman can be treated in this way in Kabul - right under the nose of the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai? 

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