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In den ACCORD derzeit zur Verfügung stehenden Quellen konnten im Rahmen der zeitlich begrenzten Recherche keine Informationen zu konkreten Säureangriffen in der Provinz Herat, Distrikt Injil, im Jahr 2009 gefunden werden. Gesucht wurde mittels Google, ecoi.net und LexisNexis nach einer Kombination aus folgenden Suchbegriffen: acid, attack, girl, herat, injil, afghanistan, 2009.

Folgende Informationen beziehen sich generell auf Säureangriffe auf Schülerinnen in Afghanistan, sowie auf Gewalt gegen Frauen in der Provinz Herat.

 

Die Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe (SFH) schreibt im August 2009 Folgendes über Gewalt gegen SchülerInnen in Afghanistan, sowie über die Überhandnahme der Taliban aufgrund des mangelhaften Justizsystems:

„Lehrkräfte und SchülerInnen. 2008 wurden 149 Angehörige des Lehrpersonals und SchülerInnen umgebracht. Im November 2008 wurden Mädchen und Lehrerinnen Opfer von Säureangriffen, welche ihnen ins Gesicht gespritzt wurde.Allein in den ersten vier Monaten 2009 wurden 29 Schulen angegriffen, was 13 Todesopfer forderte und 14 Personen verletzte. Im Mai 2009 wurden in der Provinz Kapisa, nach einem ähnlichen Vorfall in Parwan, 61 Schulmädchen mit Vergiftungserscheinungen ins Krankenhaus eingeliefert. Seit 2009 werden aufgrund massiver Einschüchterungen vermehrt auch Schulen im Norden geschlossen.“ (SFH, 11. August 2009, S. 14)

„Die Taliban haben in den von ihnen kontrollierten Gebieten ein eigenes Justizsystem aufgebaut, welches auf einer äusserst rigiden Auslegung des Sharia-Rechts basiert. Dieses umfasst Strafen wie Enthauptungen, Hängen und Schläge. UNAMA registrierte 2008 rund 271 summarische Hinrichtungen durch die Taliban und andere regierungsfeindliche Gruppierungen. Die Taliban unterhalten eigene Gefängnisse und werden angeklagt, bei Verhören Folter anzuwenden. Wegen des kaum funktionierenden Justizsystems können sich die Taliban in einigen Gebieten des Landes wieder als Bringer von Recht und Ordnung präsentieren.“ (SFH, 11. August 2009, S. 11)

Die Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) schreibt im März 2010, dass nach offiziellen Angaben trotz Bemühungen, ihre allgemeine Lage zu verbessern, Frauen in der westlichen Provinz Herat weiterhin Opfer von Gewalt seien. Im vergangenen Jahr seien 633 Fälle von Gewalt gegen Frauen und Mädchen berichtet worden, davon über 350 Fälle von Schlagen oder Verbrennen. Als eine der für Frauen schädlichen Traditionen wird die Verweigerung von Bildung genannt:   

“Despite efforts at improving their overall situation, women continue to be the target of violence in western Herat province, officials said on the International Women's Day. The Women Affairs Directorate said on Monday 633 cases of violence against females were reported in the province during the last solar year. More than 350 of the cases concerned beatings and burning. […] She deplored the imposition of unwholesome traditions on women, marrying off girls to settle disputes and debts and depriving them of education in the name of honour.” (RAWA, 8. März 2010)

Die UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) erwähnt im Februar 2008 einen Anschlag auf eine Schule in der Provinz Herat. Dies sei innerhalb von 17 Tagen der vierte Anschlag auf eine Schule im selben Bezirk gewesen, und zwei der Schulen seien Mädchenschulen gewesen. Das Gebiet sei ein Brennpunkt des Taliban-Aufstands gewesen:  

“On 25 October 2007, grenades were thrown into Naswan High School, Shindand District, Herat Province, damaging several classrooms. It was the fourth school to be attacked in the same district in 17 days. Two of them were girls' schools. The area was a hotspot of Taliban insurgency." (UNESCO, 10. Februar 2008)

In einem Beitrag auf Women’s e-news vom März 2009 heißt es ebenfalls, dass in den letzten Monaten das Wiederaufleben der Taliban und öffentliche Angriffe auf Frauen (Ermordung einer hochrangigen Polizistin, Säureangriffe, Entführungen von Schülerinnen, Todesdrohungen gegen Lehrerinnen) zugenommen hätten. Die Provinz Herat wird als von der Regierung vernachlässigt bezeichnet, dort herrsche wachsende Armut und Unsicherheit, und Zwangsverheiratungen von Kindern, sowie Selbstverbrennungen seien dort sehr verbreitet:  

“Suraya Pakzad is founder of Voice of Women Organization, a Herat-based charity that came out of secrecy in 2001 and works on the frontlines of protecting women and girls. During the Taliban phase of control, Pakzad provided underground education to girls in private homes and created safe havens for mothers fleeing domestic violence. Now she works in the northwestern provinces of Herat, Badghis and Gor, areas neglected by the government and facing increased poverty and insecurity. Forced child marriage and self-immolation, she says, remain very common there. […]

In recent months, the country has witnessed the resurgence of the Taliban and public attacks on women. Recent incidents include the assassination of Malali Kakar, the most senior female police officer in Afghanistan, as well as a series of acid attacks and kidnappings on girls seeking to attend school, coupled with death threats to their teachers.” (Women’s e-news, 12. März 2009)

Human Rights Watch (HRW) berichtet im Juli 2010 über den „Krieg“, den die Taliban gegen Frauen führen würden, und merkt an, dass die afghanische Regierung Frauenrechte ins Zentrum ihrer Reintegrationsprogramme rücken sollte. De facto hätten aber die letzten neun Jahre nur eilfertige Abmachungen und Straflosigkeit für schwere Verbrechen gebracht. Der dringende Bedarf an einer Rückzugsstrategie für die USA erhöhe das Risiko, dass Recht und Gerechtigkeit ein weiteres Mal auf der Strecke bleiben würden:

“The Afghan government should have women's rights at the center of the reintegration programs. But the experience of the past nine years has been one of hasty deals and impunity for serious crimes. And with the need for an exit strategy weighing heavily on the minds of U.S. policy makers, there's a strong chance that justice and principle will once again be sacrificed.” (HRW, 14. Juli 2010)

In einem Bericht des Guardian vom Juni 2010 über die Situation von Frauen in Afghanistan heißt es, dass Frauenaktivistinnen befürchten würden, dass die afghanische Justiz nicht in der Lage sei, zwischen Schuld und Unschuld zu unterscheiden. So würden Kriegsverbrecher und MenschenrechtsverletzerInnen freigelassen, auch jene Männer, die Säureangriffe auf Mädchen in Kandahar verübt hätten, jene, die die hochrangige Polizeibeamte Malalai Kakar ermordet hätten, und jene, die weiterhin Anschläge auf Mädchenschulen verüben würden.

Mehr als die Hälfte der Mädchen im Schulalter könnten nicht zur Schule gehen, und jene, die es wagen würden, seien oft durch Unsicherheit und Angriffe auf Schulen bedroht: 

“Women activists fear that the judiciary is not equipped to distinguish between the guilty and the innocent. As a result, notorious war criminals and human rights violators will be released under this political settlement, including the men that threw acid in the faces of girls in Kandahar, those who assassinated the senior police officer, Malalai Kakar, and those militants who continue to target girls' schools. […] More than half of school-age girls are not able to go school and those who dare to go are too often threatened by insecurity and school attacks. Women in politics are taking risks with their lives (those who threaten or kill them rarely go punished), while the new election law gives their seats to a man if they don't run for office due to security reasons.” (Guardian, 23. Juni 2010)

Der amerikanische Fernsehsender CNN berichtet im Jänner 2009 über die Säureangriffe auf Mädchen in einer Schule in Kandahar im November 2008. Taliban seien schon vorher für Dutzende Angriffe auf Mädchenschulen und Lehrerinnen verantwortlich gewesen. Seit dem Fall des Taliban-Regimes habe die afghanische Regierung mit einigem Erfolg versucht, Mädchen den bisher versagten Zugang zu Schulbildung zu ermöglichen. Laut Gouverneur von Kandahar seien zehn Männer im Zusammenhang mit dem Angriff im November 2008 festgenommen worden, einige hätten auch gestanden. Jedoch habe es noch keine Gerichtsverhandlungen gegeben:

„It's not the first time girls in Afghanistan have been targeted for attending school. The Taliban have been responsible for dozens of attacks on girls' schools and female teachers, but even they condemned this attack. Kandahar was the headquarters for the Taliban during its five-year rule of Afghanistan and was home to Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Omar. During that time, girls were forbidden to attend school. If they tried to get an education, they risked beatings by the religious police, or worse. Parents and family members were threatened, and sometimes killed, for allowing their girls the chance to be educated. Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the Afghan government has tried to extend access to education, with some success. About 6 million children attend schools throughout the country, 2 million of whom are girls, according to government figures. […]

The governor of Kandahar announced that 10 men had been arrested and some had confessed. […] For once, the attacks have not set off tit-for-tat accusations between the Afghan and Pakistani governments, as both countries deal with the extremists working to keep girls from getting an education. None of the men who appeared on the video has had his day in court.” (CNN, 23. Jänner 2009)

Die Nachrichtenagentur Reuters berichtet im Jänner 2009 über die Schikanen, durch die afghanische Mädchen aus den Schulen vertrieben werden: Säureangriffe, Morde, Angriffe auf Schulen, sexuelle Übergriffe und Gewalt gegen Schülerinnen. In den Provinzen und im Süden stünden Taliban hinter diesen Angriffen, während in Kabul die Täter arbeitslose junge Männer seien. Viele von diesen hätten gute Verbindungen zu Polizeibeamten und blieben straffrei: 

“From acid attacks, murder, torching of schools and sexual assault, violence against female students is dashing the dreams of thousands of Afghan girls and women who are thirsty for an education that may help rejuvenate the fractured economy and society of their war-torn country. […] In villages, and particularly in the deeply conservative south, the Taliban have burned down schools, killed female students and teachers and attacked schoolgirls by throwing acid in their faces. In relatively safer and less conservative Kabul, girls are facing abuse, sexual harassment and kidnappings. […] While Taliban militants, fighting to overthrow the Western-backed government and expel foreign troops, are behind the attacks in the provinces and the south, those harassing girls in Kabul are usually unemployed young men, Nang said. The police have at times rounded up the groups of youths, but Nang said many of them ‘have good connections with some police officials - the boys are released back after detention because they are well connected.’” (Reuters, 29. Jänner 2009)  

CNN berichtet im März 2009 von einem Telefoninterview mit einem führenden Kommandanten der Taliban. Dieser thematisiert auch die Bestrebung der Taliban, Mädchen von öffentlichen Schulen fernzuhalten. Die Gesetze der Taliban seien dieselben wie in der Zeit, als sie die Regierung des Landes innegehabt hätten. Laut CNN hätten Dutzende Verbrechen im ganzen Land, vor allem Säureangriffe, den Schulbeginn beeinträchtigt. Mädchen seien als Strafe für den Schulbesuch wahllos mit Säure attackiert oder bedroht worden, über 600 Schulen seien laut Bildungsministerium aus Sicherheitsgründen geschlossen geblieben:

“A top Taliban commander has issued a new threat to foreign aid workers, saying that under the insurgent group's new ‘constitution’ they will execute them as spies or hold them in exchange for the release of Taliban fighters. In an exclusive telephone interview Friday night with CNN, Mohammed Ibrahim Hanafi said the Taliban intelligence wing was actively gathering information on foreign aid workers. ‘If we get someone, that is how we will deal with it under our new constitution,’ he said. He added that he was telling ‘Afghan brothers not to work with NGOs.’ In the 15-minute interview, arranged by an intermediary for CNN, Hanafi repeated the Taliban's pledge to keep girls out of public schools.

‘Our law is still the same old law which was in place during our rule in Afghanistan,’ he said. ‘Mullah Mohammad Omar was our leader and he is still our head and leader and so we will follow the same law as before.’ ‘In my opinion,’ he added, ‘Taliban aren't allowing girls to go to schools because Taliban want women to preserve their respect by staying in their homes, not to work as laborers for others.’

Dozens of crimes across the country, especially acid attacks, have marred the opening of the new school year in Afghanistan. Afghan girls have been burned and scared randomly with acid as punishment for going to school. More than 600 schools did not open this year because of security issues, according to the Afghanistan Education Ministry. The schools that did open, however, remain defiant. Young women admitted to CNN being fearful but also said they are determined to get an education and better their lives. It is a sentiment echoed by their principal, a 35-year veteran of Afghanistan's girls schools.” (CNN, 15. März 2009)

Auch das US Department of State (USDOS) erwähnt in seinem Menschenrechtsbericht vom März 2010, dass Kindern der Zugang zu Schulbildung durch Gewalt erschwert würde. Taliban und andere Extremisten, aber auch kriminelle Banden würden vor allem Mädchenschulen, sowie Beamte an Schulen, LehrerInnen und SchülerInnen angreifen. In der Provinz Kunduz seien sieben Mädchenschulen geschlossen worden. Laut UNICEF habe es von Jänner bis Juni 470 Angriffe auf Schulen bzw. SchülerInnen und LehrerInnen gegeben, die zu 30 Todesfällen und 186 Verletzten geführt hätten.

Nach Angaben von CARE seien viele Schulen wiederholt angegriffen worden, und Mädchenschulen und staatliche Schulen seien eher Ziel von Angriffen als gemischtgeschlechtliche und Schulen von NGOs:

„Children

Violence impeded access to education in increasing sections of the country from 2008 through year's end, as the Taliban and other extremists, as well as criminal gangs, threatened or attacked schools, especially girls' schools, as well as school officials, teachers, and students. Where schools remained open, parents were often afraid to send their children, particularly girls. The MOE reported that approximately 40 percent of children were deprived of access to education; the AIHRC reported 26 percent. The AIHRC reported that half of schools did not have adequate, safe, and appropriate space for learning. Many new schools in rural parts of Khost province were burned or destroyed; some communities hired their own security guards to protect their schools. In Kunduz province, according to the director of education, seven girls' schools closed, all in areas of high insurgent infiltration; the director stated that Taliban ‘policy’ regarding girls' schools differed from place to place, and in some places the Taliban allowed schools to remain open. UNICEF reported from January to June there were 470 confirmed targeted attacks on education (schools, teachers, staff, and pupils), resulting in 30 deaths and 186 injuries to schoolchildren, teachers, and other school employees. The MOE reported to Human Rights Watch that unknown assailants poisoned 200 students; 196 were female. On July 9, in Logar province, a Taliban bomb near a school killed 25 persons, including 12 students.

According to a report by CARE, many schools were attacked repeatedly. Girls' schools were targeted more frequently than boys' or mixed-gender schools. Government schools were more frequently attacked than schools run by NGOs. Helmand, Kandahar, and Zabul provinces reported the highest number of closed schools. In Helmand province, for example, 180 schools, or 71 percent of the total, were inactive from March to July, but the MOE reopened 100 schools over the same period; by December only 58 percent of schools in Helmand were closed. Only one school in Helmand was attacked during the year.

In Uruzgan province, education officials stated that state schools were open but many unofficial schools were also in operation. Individuals opened schools inside their homes and recruited local mullahs as teachers. In the Khus Uruzgan district of Uruzgan province, official schools were closed after insurgents abducted and beat the teachers. There were no updates to the November 2008 acid attacks against female students in Kandahar. NGOs and aid agencies reported that insecurity, conservative attitudes, and poverty denied education to millions of school-age children, mainly in the southern and southeastern provinces.” (USDOS, 11. März 2010, Section 6)

Human Rights Watch (HRW) schreibt im Jahresbericht 2009, dass die Taliban und andere militante Gruppen ihr Kontrollgebiet unter anderem auf Teile der Provinz Herat ausgeweitet hätten. Über afghanische Mädchen heißt es in dem Bericht, ihnen würde durch große Hindernisse der Zugang zu Schulbildung erschwert: Mangel an Mädchenschulen, sexuelle Belästigung am Schulweg und frühe Verheiratung:

“The Taliban and other militants have extended their control into parts of the country previously considered relatively stable, such as Logar and Wardak which border Kabul province, and parts of Herat province in the west. […]

Women and Girls

Afghan women and girls rank among the world’s worst-off by most indicators, including maternal mortality, life expectancy, and literacy. Insecurity prevents the vast majority of girls from attending school in the south and southeast. In Kandahar in November 2008, several schoolgirls had acid thrown at their faces on their way to school. Even in conflict-free areas, Afghan girls continue to face immense obstacles to education such as lack of girls’ schools, sexual harassment en route to school, and early marriage which tends to prematurely end schooling. According to Ministry of Education data, 46 percent of primary school-aged girls were enrolled in primary school, compared with 74 percent of boys. At the secondary level only 8 percent of girls and 18 percent of boys were enrolled. Women still confront widespread discrimination, significant barriers to working outside the home, and restrictions on their mobility; many still cannot travel without an accompanying male relative and a burqa.” (HRW, 14. Jänner 2009)  

 

Quellen:(Zugriff auf alle Quellen am 3. August 2010)

·       RAWA - Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan:Violence against women persists in Herat, 8. März 2010

·       SFH - Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe: Afghanistan: Update. Die aktuelle Sicherheitslage, 11. August 2009 (veröffentlicht auf ecoi.net)

·       UNESCO – UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation: Education under Attack 2010 – Afghanistan, 10. Februar 2008

·       Women’s e-news: Women in Afghanistan - Afghans Question 'Good Taliban' Times Ahead, 12. März 2009)

 

·       CNN - Cable News Network: Afghan girls maimed by acid vow to go to school, 23. Jänner 2009

·       Guardian: Afghan peace process offers little hope for women, 23. Juni 2010

·       HRW - Human Rights Watch: The Taliban War on Women Continues, 14. Juli 2010

·       Reuters: Harassment forces Afghan girls out of school, 29. Jänner 2009

·       CNN – Cable News Network: Taliban threaten to kill aid workers as spies, 15. März 2009

·       HRW - Human Rights Watch: World Report 2009 (Events of 2008), 14. Jänner 2009

·       USDOS - US Department of State: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2009 - Afghanistan, 11. März 2010