Drug lord's demand of Afghan girl spurs horror
Laura Schreier
Dallas Morning News
06/04/2006
A 13-year-old Afghan girl's bleak story in Wednesday's
Dallas Morning News hit a nerve with readers, about a dozen
of whom contacted the newspaper offering money or help to prevent
the girl's forced marriage to a drug baron.
Because Abdul Satar, a poor poppy farmer, can't
repay a debt, the 70-year-old drug lord demanded one of Mr.
Satar's daughters instead. Esther, 13, is to be handed over,
even though she and her 14-year-old sister threatened suicide
when they heard the news.
Richardson resident Sylvia Pas, who was born in
Pakistan, said the story affected her. "It could have been
me," she said. "I was one of the lucky ones who did
have opportunities. I can only imagine what would have happened
to me if I didn't have the chance."
Ms. Pas and other readers offered money to pay
the father's debt, but Farshad Rastegar, CEO of the aid organization
Relief International, said it's not always just a question of
money.
"The big thing in Afghanistan is honor, and
money doesn't buy honor," he said. Backing down from this
demand might mean the drug baron would lose face in the community.
Mr. Rastegar said a nongovernmental organization
would have to step in, discuss the matter with the man and offer
some kind of peace package, such as building a school in his
name or giving him some kind of ceremony - something that
satisfies the debt and honors the man.
Mr. Rastegar said he would check with Relief International
offices in Afghanistan about possibilities for intervention,
but he couldn't make any guarantees. Sometimes individuals can't
be found or families step in to prevent intervention.
"I'm afraid it's a case-by-case basis,"
he said.
Salma Afzal, women's affairs and social protection
officer with the Afghan Embassy in Washington, said she would
alert the Ministry of Women's Affairs in Afghanistan, which
she described as the best course of action available to her.
Ms. Afzal said she knew of another case in which
the ministry had rescued an abused child-bride from her husband,
and she said it might intervene for Esther as well.
Americans who want to get involved should contact
nongovernmental relief organizations, she said. Some groups
take on individual cases, but people can also make donations
and help prevent the poverty that forces girls like Esther into
arranged marriages.
Lurma Rackley, a spokeswoman for the relief organization
CARE, said only the group's workers in Afghanistan could say
whether readers would be able to help Esther's family. Ms. Rackley
awaited Kabul-based workers' response to the question via e-mail
but said the situation called for delicate moves.
"I don't want to discourage anybody from
getting motivated when they read a story like this," she
said. But Esther's situation involves cultural issues of marriage
and family in a country already in political and social upheaval,
including a people resentful of the American military presence.
Last week's riots only highlighted that turbulence, Ms. Rackley
said.
While these organizations look into the matter,
readers such as Irving resident Vanilla Bhasin wait to hear
how they can help. Esther is vulnerable, caught up in a situation
she didn't make, Ms. Bhasin said.
"I just thought I'd try."
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