Welcome!
The shocking loss of a father, which still reverberates decades later.
The memory of fleeing a battle on foot. An exploration of what it means for a
Muslim woman to shake a man's hand. A riot triggered by an accident involving
an American military vehicle. A poem about a burqa, the "cemetery of my
identity." We had a winter storm of compelling essays and poetry this month. I
urge you to read and comment on the work of these women writers, often composed
under difficult or even threatening conditions.
For those of you in the Los Angeles area, a theatrical reading of a
dozen of our writers' work, titled "Out of Silence," will take place on March 8th
at the Museum of Tolerance. The pieces will be read by nine actresses,
including Jennifer Beals, Conchata Ferrell, Nichelle Nichols, and others, who are
volunteering their talents and time. Another theatrical performance is
scheduled for May 24th in Washington, DC.
The AWWP is very proud to announce that our writer Freshta is one of
four women bloggers who have been awarded the Second Annual International
Activist BlogHer Scholarship. As part of the scholarship, Freshta will present
selected pieces of her work this summer in New York City before other
international bloggers.
Thank you for your support of these women,
which means more to all of us here at AWWP than I can say.
Warmly,
Masha Hamilton
p.s. You can now become our fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at AWWProject.
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The Day They Took My Father
I saw the two armed men standing beside my father's bed. One removed
the blanket from his face, holding the gun in his other hand. The other had a
machine gun. Suddenly, he woke up. I will on no account and by no means ever
forget his anxious look and worried face. Then his expression changed as if he
knew what was going on.
By Elay
Click here to read the full essay.
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Do Not Shake My Hand, Please! 
"I did something I should not have," she said, lowering her eyes.
"There was a foreign man in the interview. He gave me his hand to shake hands
with him. And Freshta-jan, I gave him my hand. I didn't want him to think that
I am dark-minded, like a Taliban. He doesn't know that shaking his hand, for
me, a woman, is forbidden by our religion and culture. I was afraid, Freshta,
that if I didn't shake his hand, he might cut my number."
By Freshta
Click here to read the full essay.
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The Cemetery of My Identity
I see
from
the windows of my burqa
but I do not see.
Where is the sky?
The world is not so big for me.
By Roya
Click here to read the full poem.
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My Mother's Secret
While most parents tell their children to be careful while crossing the
road, or to stay away from strangers, my parents warned us against telling
people my mother was Shia. She had grown up with messages of hate not only from
neighbors, but in school and the mosques, from her in-laws, and eventually, in
the form of a question, even from her son.
By Meena
Click here to read the full essay.
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One Day's Battle
I remember the rockets and bombs. Explosions were their voices. Walking
in the desert was difficult and I had to walk quickly to keep up with my
family. I lost my shoes. I became separated from my family. It was not dark so
I don't know how, in a second, I lost my family in the afternoon. I began to
cry and call to my mother and father, "Where are you?"
By Seeta
Click here to read the full essay.
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The Riot
An American heavy-armored vehicle lost control and crushed an Afghan
car with people inside. It continued to crash into other cars, and in a single
moment, lives were taken. A stunned silence washed over the witnesses. The
crowd inched closer to the wreckage and the Americans started to panic, fearing
the locals were armed and could harm them as revenge. The Americans started
shooting at the ground as a warning for the people to back up. That's when
anger rippled through the locals. They started shouting, "You killed our
people, and you're the ones shooting at us?"
By Laila
Click here to read the full essay.
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A Word From Our Teachers
Erika Sanders recently completed her MFA
in fiction, writes short stories and is currently at work on a novel. She works
with inmate writers at the Monroe Correctional Complex in Washington State and
blogs about her work here.
I had been listening to the reports about my country's decision to
increase troop levels in Afghanistan for several weeks when I decided that
being a passive bystander to the war was no longer an option for me. I thought,
maybe I need to find a group and travel to Afghanistan. Or, perhaps, I need to
get out and protest. I searched Google and discovered AWWP and was instantly
reminded that through story, shared words and new friendships it is possible to
make a difference-even if only in a seemingly small way.
Working with the AWWP writers the last few weeks has made Afghanistan
more real to me. No longer can I listen to or watch the news without thinking
of lines from some of the women's poems or scenes from their essays. I question
the context in which the news here in the US delivered, and am grateful for the
opportunity AWWP affords me to hear real stories from real women living in a
country they both love and fear.
Roya's poem "My Burqa" and the photo she sent of herself wearing one
brought home to me the struggle of our women writers. Yet, in every piece of
writing there was strength, and even hope. Telling stories can save lives.
Being heard can help heal wounds. And meeting women in places far removed from
my own home, even if only virtually, has made me wiser, humbled me and brought
me great joy.
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Contact AWWP:
For more information on the Afghan Women's Writing Project please contact:
The Afghan Women's Writing ProjectMasha Hamilton, Project Founder
686 Sterling Place Brooklyn, New York 11216
Phone: 917.821.6119 / Email: masha@mashahamilton.com
The Afghan Women's Writing Project was begun as a way to allow the voices of Afghan women - too often silenced - to enter the world directly, without any mediation. This project is possible only because of the outstanding American women authors and teachers who generously donate their time and energy. Additionally, the tireless contributions of webmaster extraordinaire Jeff Lyons, web designer Rose Daniels and our technical director Terry Dougherty have been crucial. Photography thanks and credit goes to Kathleen Rafiq and Heidi Levine. Our inspiring partners are SOLA and the Peter M. Goodrich Memorial Foundation; please visit their websites.
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Donations:
Online Donations for Afghan Women Writers:
Many of our
students and women writers, especially outside of Kabul, cannot get to an
Internet cafe due to security considerations. A laptop at home and a jump drive
would allow them to write their pieces, and then ask a male relative to send
the work at an Internet cafe. A $20 donation will buy a flash drive and $500 in
donations will buy a laptop for our women writers. No contribution is too
small. Thank you for considering it.
Your tax deductible credit card donation will be handled by The Goodrich
Foundation's secure Paypal payment.
Click This Link To Make A Donation!
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To stay informed about the latest news, events, and other developments with the Afghan Women's Writing Project, please CLICK below and join our mailing list. We appreciate your support.
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Sponsors & Friends:
Please visit our sponsors as a way to thank them for their wonderful support:
Friends of Afghanistan
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