Our current roundtable is regarding self -demolition of women in Afghanistan
As you are witness that our country has experienced very armed clashes and wars particularly in recent three decades, which have caused variety of problems for our nation. We can say money examples of such problems like stresses, displacements, mental harms, loses of family members, discriminate of human rights, poverty and thousands of other problems.
Self demolition is an uncommon method for suicide of an individual; such action was carried out in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Iran and recently in Afghanistan. Self demolition is very common among women in Islamic countries which the women do not have any other options which conduct self demolition. This action is a big human discrimination and there is no any specific law regarding the issue. Currently most of Afghan women suffer the problem and most of them are calmly dye each day. Level of self demolition gets increase in our country in recent days. The first example of self demolition was launched in 1990 in Afghanistan that was equivalent to civil war. At the same time, women used as gun for warlords and the women, who were harmed and attacked during the time, have not forgotten the depth of crimes and they are still live under mental stresses. Even a number of the women were even put out of their family shelter, which caused self demolition of women. We want to have a discussion regarding the issue and we hosted four guests in a roundtable. The guests are psychologist of Afghan Medica office Mss Wira Farawal Aksir, member of lower house Dr. Fatema Aziz, Litigation in charge in women for women office Ms Shukria Khaleqi and coordinator of women right section in Afghanistan human right commission.
Question: first of all, I want to ask Ms Aksir that what self demolition is.
Answer: initially regards for all, self demolition is the most dangerous method of suicide attack, which is conducting intentionally.
Question: what are the main causes of self demolition among women?
Answer: the main causes of self demolition are family problems, poverty, unawareness, illiteracy, compulsory weddings, under ages wedding and other problems, which face women to stresses and make the women to launch self demolition.
Question: prior to the next question, I want to mention to dear listeners that if you have any view or questions regarding the program, you can contact us and ask your question. Now I want to ask Ms Shukria Khaleqi to provide information regarding history of self demolition in our country?
Answer: best regards for you and other guests, as you know that self demolition is not a legal or logical phenomenon; therefore I cannot provide right definition for it. It is a discordant phenomenon for the Afghan women and has no long history in the country. After civil wars in Afghanistan and immigrations of Afghan to neighbor countries, it has imported the phenomenon to Afghanistan. The women use such phenomenon to rescue of the huge social problems.
Questions: Dear Ms Fatema Azizi, in the point of your view the self demolition is a kind of sickness or problem causes to do the action?
Answer: Regards to all, self demolition has economic and mental causes in the country. Those women, who commit self demolition have counters mental and spiritual sicknesses but it should noted that main roots of such sicknesses link to economic, family violence… for example whenever a women face to several problems in his house and she cannot go to his parents house due to local traditions, she compel to conduct self demolition.
Question: what are causes for self demolition among girls?
Answers: the main causes of self demolition among girls are emotions, illiteracy, lack of family supports but the number of such self demolition are very less rather than economic, family violence …
Question: in point of your view Ms. Sultani is self demolition is legal in Islam?
Answer: in the point of Islamic laws and regulations self demolition is intentionally suicide and it is not legal in the Islam. Whoever faces to problem and commit self demolition is manslaughter and it is against Islamic laws, but whenever second partly involve in self demolition and provoke the subject to do the action, would be guilty. Based on laws, such provokers would be detained for middle period detention. If the committed self demolition individual may die, he or she would sentence for 10 or more than yeas of jail.
Question: Ms. Aksir, on the point of your view what are the main causes of self demolition among women?
Answer: As we live in a traditional community and most of our traditions and cultural are against of women rights, women rights have been always violated by the community. These violations are engagement of girls forcefully, under ages wedding, compulsory weddings, economic and family problems; unawareness and illiteracy which are totally caused self demolition among women.
Question: Ms. Latifa Sultani in point of your view, how is impact of violation of women rights on the causes of self demolitions?
Answer: I should say that a self demolition is not apparently violation but its part of the violation. For example, whenever a girl is not agreeing to get engage with a man but she compel to get him married due to family violation, which has eventually committed self demolition. According to Afghanistan human right commission statistics, most of compulsory weddings among women cause self demolitions. Also, torture of women by her family members and prostitutions of girls made them to sedentary and stigmatize of community that cause self demolition. During the current year, there are 144 cases of women violation throughout the country, which shows increase of its level.
Question: in your view, the main causes of self demolition is mentally or physically issues?
Answer: according to recent recoded of Afghanistan human right commission, there are 504 cases of self suicide among women in Afghanistan that most of its cover torture of women by their family. Therefore, it shows that most of its causes physically issues.
Question: Ms. Shukria Khaleqi, how is impacts of security problems on the violation of women rights?
Answer: in the point of my view, the country which does not have security would weaken social relationships of the nation and it may create lots of problems. Due to the all problems, the women compel to commit self demolition. Eventually I can say that 80% of self demolition depends upon security.
Question: Dr. Fatema self demolition has decreased or increased in the country?
Answer: although I don’t have specific information regarding decreased or increased level of self demolition but I can say that self demolition has increased in our country in recent days due to problems Afghan women are facing. The role of women in the community is very important issue and the Afghan women are working in many parts of the community such as organize of human rights and activities against women violation than last years.
Question: Ms Sultani does your office have statistic regarding self demolition?
Answer: during 1389 solar year, Afghanistan human right commission recorded 405 cases of self suicide in the country. From which 144 cases of it linked to self demolitions of women and the main causes of it links to family violation. Most of incident occurred in southern provinces of Afghanistan. From the self demolitions issue, 22 of the cases got health back, 20 cases were disable, 75 of them were killed and 27 are still under medical treatment.
Question: does the statistic match throughout the country or it may changes in Northern provinces of Afghanistan?
Answer: the statistic recorded from hospitals and local liaison individuals but there are some provinces which do not have such hospitals. The statistic of current year show increase level of self demolition in Afghanistan.
Question: Ms. Aksir in your view, what are the main causes of self demolition among women?
Answer: as if mentioned before, the main causes of self demolitions are illiteracy, unawareness, family violation, economic problems and other issues.
Question: as all know that there are seminars, workshops regarding women violation and self demolition, according to your statements the number of incident have increased then what are the main roots of issue?
Answer: lack of links between the women and social, unawareness of women and men of the rights and privileges were provided by Islam. Therefore they compel to conduct self demolition.
Question: Ms. Shukria what is your view regarding boost of self demolitions of women in Herat and Kandahar provinces?
Answer: the main causes of self demolitions in our community are family violation, compulsory weddings, under ages weeding, polygamies, stresses, differences of ages between wife and husband, insult of women by his husband due of born of girls, lack of acquaintances between wife and husband, reproach of wife by his husband family, social poverty, economic problems, lack of comprehensions between spouses, harsh wedding condition… totally we can say that family violation and men leadership in family causes self demolitions and other problems for the women.
Question: Ms. Fatema in your view, does self demolition among women in Herat and Kandahar provinces connects to unawareness of people or insecurity or other causes?
Answer: first of all I should say the report and document of the agency concentrate on Herat and Kandahar provinces but the self demolition is not just terminated to the provinces but it is also to the rest of country. We do not have in hand because of lack reporting sources on other provinces. As Herat is a populace province of Afghanistan, therefore the report has landslide impacts.
I want to add one thing more that one of the reason violations against women is illiteracy of them as well as lack of comprehensions between them in a family perimeter.
Question: Ms Fatema! As you are parliament member and representative of Konduz province to the lower house, how are level of self demolition in the province and other northern provinces of Afghanistan?
Answer: I should say that number of self demolitions in Konduz province is less than Herat province but self demolition is totally use against women in the province and adjoining provinces. I want to emphasize once again the main causes of women violation laid on insecurity issues in the country. For example we were witness of stoning a woman in the province, as the women planned to get marry a man, but based on our traditions the woman was stoned on public. Whenever the woman knew that was stoned in public, she may commit self demolition.
Question: Ms. Aksir how much types of self demolitions use in our country and which one of them are most common?
Answer: as all know, self demolition is the most dangerous type of suicide and most of self demolitions are using fuels.
Question: Ms. Khaleqi how can we remove self demolition in our country?
Answer: whenever we could change views of people in our country and provide a peace atmosphere, meanwhile we can claim that we remove self demolition and the only way to approach to goals is providing information through Medias, schools, mosques…
Question: Ms. Sultani is there any option to impose on women to rescue them of self demolition?
Answer: there are several options to solve problems of women, first of all to refer for law and justice resources, second to refer to family issues but the most important step is to implement laws by Afghan government law enforcements. Afghan government has carried out very week in this way.
Question: Ms. Fatema what is your suggestions for the women, who commit self demolitions and suicide?
Answer: my suggestion to the women is that they should have patients and should think for their children and family. They should refer to law and justice agencies and families in order to obtain their rights. Self demolition is not rescue of the problems but the women even face to several problems after the self demolition.
Thank you from listeners of the program and all guests, who participate in our roundtable.
