The website of the folks behind this (fredericton Peace) strikes me as a bit odd. The top of the site has a report about the problems women face in Afghanistan yet this same group wants Canadian troops out so that the Taliban can take over again and continue to oppress women?!? After reading more of their site, I got more of an anti-US flavour out of it than anything else...but that's me.
The fact is that its a NATO mission and the canadian military reports to the US, so the 'anti US' theme is not surprising.
However, there are different issues for women. Under Taliban rule, women didn't have much in the way of rights, the Taliban was very draconian. Yet there is a big difference, because WITHOUT Taliban rule, the violence against women has increased. Rape and other crimes, which were severely curtailed under the Taliban, have resurfaced with a vengeance. Many of the people in their government were the worst offenders.
So there are two different sides, and keep in mind that our military does nothing to interfere in these crimes, their exclusive specific duty is only to hunt down Taliban, not interfere with 'local issues'. Many reports are again resurfacing of forced marriages, underage marriages, 'vengeance' rapes, etc.
These were all contrary to basic muslim law, they are tribal rules. These are of no interest to the 'allied' forces, they are internal matters, but would be addressed by a peacekeeping force and by UN regulations.
Saint John Troops out had 40 people turn out to get info and hear speakers like Steven an ex green beret / former Iraq soldier who lives in Canada now.
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The website of the folks behind this (fredericton Peace) strikes me as a bit odd. The top of the site has a report about the problems women face in Afghanistan yet this same group wants Canadian troops out so that the Taliban can take over again and continue to oppress women?!? After reading more of their site, I got more of an anti-US flavour out of it than anything else...but that's me.
The fact is that its a NATO mission and the canadian military reports to the US, so the 'anti US' theme is not surprising.
However, there are different issues for women. Under Taliban rule, women didn't have much in the way of rights, the Taliban was very draconian. Yet there is a big difference, because WITHOUT Taliban rule, the violence against women has increased. Rape and other crimes, which were severely curtailed under the Taliban, have resurfaced with a vengeance. Many of the people in their government were the worst offenders.
So there are two different sides, and keep in mind that our military does nothing to interfere in these crimes, their exclusive specific duty is only to hunt down Taliban, not interfere with 'local issues'. Many reports are again resurfacing of forced marriages, underage marriages, 'vengeance' rapes, etc.
These were all contrary to basic muslim law, they are tribal rules. These are of no interest to the 'allied' forces, they are internal matters, but would be addressed by a peacekeeping force and by UN regulations.
Saint John Troops out had 40 people turn out to get info and hear speakers like Steven an ex green beret / former Iraq soldier who lives in Canada now.
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