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DE RUEHBUL #2467 1501232
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301232Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0552
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
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RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS KABUL 002467 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, S/CRS, SCA/PAB, S/CT, EUR/RPM 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN, KAMEND 
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76 POLAD 
REL NATO/ISAF/AS/NZ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KWMN AF
SUBJECT: PRT HERAT: NO EVIDENCE OF AFGHAN WOMEN'S BILL OF 
RIGHTS 
 
 
¶1. (SBU)  SUMMARY: According to "My War at Home", a recently 
published book by young Afghan-American Masuda Sultan, an 
"Afghan Women's Bill of Rights" (AWBR) was delivered to the 
GOA and widely disseminated throughout the country prior to 
the Constitutional Loya Jirga.  Afghan sources and USG and UN 
personnel stationed in Afghanistan in 2003 have stated, 
however, they had never heard of an Afghan Women's Bill of 
Rights.  Yet on December 16, 2003, a posting was placed on 
the Department of State website that highlighted the 
document.  The book may misrepresent both existence and 
influence of a AWBR, and we caution against any reference to 
it on the Department website.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  In her book "My War at Home", Afghan-American 
author, Masuda Sultan describes the crafting, under her 
guidance and that of an NGO she founded, Women for Afghan 
Women (WAW), of an Afghan Women's Bill of Rights.  Sultan 
describes how the AWBR was prominently rolled out in a 
September 2003 press conference following a Kandahar 
conference where it was developed, presented directly to 
President Karzai, and widely distributed throughout the 
country. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Although Sultan claimed the Kandahar conference 
received favorable coverage in the international press, 
journalists who covered the conference do not recall any 
"bill of rights" drafting.  A video clip, provided by WAW, 
was posted on the Department of State website 16 December 
2003, three months after the conference.  The source for 
information posted in the international press appears to have 
come from WAW itself and not from independent journalists. 
 
¶4. (SBU)  Knowledgeable Afghans report they are unfamiliar 
with an AWBR.  Former Minister for Women's Affairs Sima Samar 
- currently head of the Afghan Independent Human Rights 
Commission (AIHRC) and perhaps the most prominent women's 
rights activist in Afghanistan who was cited in Sultan's 
book, - told PRToffs she did not know Ms. Sultan nor had she 
heard of a WAW-drafted Women's Bill of Rights.  Samar pointed 
out, however, the AIHRC had written at the time, without 
outside assistance, its own draft constitution and bill of 
rights in the run up to the Constitutional Loya Jirga.  We 
cannot substantiate Sultan's claim that copies of the AWBR, 
were widely distributed throughout the country. 
 
¶5. (SBU) COMMENT:  We believe that the claim made by Ms. 
Sultan in her recently-published book and in the other open 
source material at the very least highly exaggerated and may 
misrepresent the drafting and distribution of an "AWBR" in 
September 2003.  Since a Department website was utilized to 
publicize this in late 2003, we urge the Department exercise 
caution in referring to Sultan's new book, "My War at Home", 
or any other assertions by her on WAW in the Department's 
public diplomacy channels.  END COMMENT. 
NEUMANN