Isobel Yeung sure was brave to interview an Afghanistan parliament member on the subject of violence against women. A few minutes into the interview, Nazir Ahmad Hanafi got upset with the line of questioning and told someone off camera that Yeung should be handed over to an Afghan man to be raped "so hard it would come out of her nose."
This is a member of parliament?
The outrageous crimes against Afghan women, by their own relatives and neighbors, is well documented. Marriages are forced on girls and the law accepts the rape of a woman by her husband as an acceptable practice. Sexual harrassment in the workplace and public places, as well as rape and murder, are business are usual.
Please join me in asking Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani to call for Hanafi's resignation. His removal would be a step forward in the effort to stop violence against women, promote gender equality and advance Afghanistan's standing in the world.
Dear President Ashraf Ghani:
It's well known that Afghan laws are doing little to protect Afghan women. But I never expected that a member of parliament would actually threaten a reporter with rape, just because he didn't like her questions. And he made this threat on record for the world to see. Now, instead of issuing an apology, he is demanding one. This appears to be a microcosm of how women are treated in your country. Women become entirely accountable for the bad behavior of men. Men appear to have no accountability themselves. Please demand Hanafi's resignation. His removal would be a step forward in the effort to stop violence against women, promote gender equality and advance Afghanistan's standing in the world.
