It’s become an already well-worn cliché, but for the majority of us the world really did change on September 11th last year. For some, though, those events were merely another chapter in a tragic story that has been unfolding for over 20 years and which has brought unrelenting misery and destruction to the people of one region. Fatana Gailani, visiting Dublin to give an impassioned testimonial to the Frontline conference on human rights, has lived through more horrors than most of us could imagine but has emerged as one of Afghanistan’s true heroes, a defiant defender of her people and an undying testament to the power of the human spirit.

A striking woman of 45 years, Gailani’s story may well be that of the country itself, a tale of oppression and terror but also of an unbelievable courage and heart. Speaking at times through an interpreter, she begins by remembering her early life in Afghanistan:

“Before the Communists, Afghanis lived a normal life. We were heading in the way of democracy. Everything was normal, especially the position of women. We had a female minister in the parliament and professors in the universities – women lived in peace, security and dignity just like the men. After the communist coup, from that day to now, women’s life in Afghanistan ceased to exist. I had a wonderful life before the Communists came. I went to school. I was never afraid. Everything was wonderful, that is my memory”.

Under threat from the invading Soviet forces, Fatana and her husband fled to Pakistan.

“It was very difficult for me,” she confesses “to leave my country, leave my family, leave everything, but there was no security from the Russians and the KGB. They killed Afghans or put them into jail. For that reason we had to go to Pakistan. We stayed near the border and nearly three million refugees came into Pakistan”.

What was the reaction of the Pakistani people?

“It was wonderful because for our people Pakistan is a second home”, she remembers. “The culture, the religion is all the same so we didn’t have too many problems. The Pakistani people worked with us and took care of us for a long time”.

With no formal agenda in place for the refugees’ care, Fatana began to work in the camps, establishing immunisation programmes, schools and a clinic to take care of the sick women and children. Her efforts soon brought her to the attention of local fundamentalists, who were less than happy with her high profile efforts, as she explains:

“The fundamentalist groups did not agree with women running a clinic or working in the community, talking to people. At that time, over 20 years ago, it was very difficult because I was the first woman to speak like this – to explain what was going on and to ask for help for these people”.

The opposition soon turned violent, culminating in the murder of Malali Noristani, a 35-year-old nurse working at the clinic. Fearing for her life, Fantana was forced to flee the country.

“After my colleague at the clinic was killed,” she recalls, “they threatened me by telephone and by a lot of letters. They tried to destroy me. Then I decided to go to Swaziland for a short while but I couldn’t rest. I remembered the girls who worked with me, my colleagues in Peshawar and the people, they were so lovely. Then the Mujahideen leaders went into Afghanistan in 1993 and I returned to Pakistan. I thought it would be a better time for peace and democracy. The love of the people persuaded me to come back to work for them and to fight for them”.

With the defeat of the Russians came a promised new dawn for the region although, as the world now knows, this was not to last.

“The Afghan people thought that they would find their freedom,” says Fatima. “But the leaders of the Mujahideen had no unity, they had no system, no idea how to make a government. We understood that they had a lot of problems but at the same time we thought that they would care about the country, about the people, but no. They were very, very selfish people, very sick. They were ambitious in the wrong way. They fought against each other, they destroyed the country through civil war”.

After five years of terrible fighting, the regime was replaced by a new set of leaders and with them yet more oppression for the Afghan people, especially its women.

“When the Taliban came into power” she states, “they said to us that they came in peace. When they came into the capital, they showed their true face. They gave orders to the women to close all activities. Before the Taliban, we had had troubles with the Mujahideen leaders but the Taliban just closed everything down.”.

Fatana was to continue her struggle for the rights of her people in general, and the women of Afghanistan in particular. Still living in Pakistan, she attempted negotiations with the Taliban but to no avail. Once more she found her own life in danger, with the Taliban threatening both her and her husband, who were forced to live under the protection of Amnesty International and the Pakistani government.

Another massive problem was that the international community was not listening either, conveniently oblivious to five years of torture, murder and rape. Afghanistan had, for the most part, slipped off the global agenda and seemed destined to become the scene of yet another forgotten genocide. Then, on September 11th, the world changed.

With the initial aim of removing the Taliban having been achieved, many are questioning whether the Western alliance is capable of executing a long-term plan for the region. Fatana, however, is positive about the future.

“I don’t know about a plan,” she admits. “But at the moment they are trying to help in Afghanistan, to bring peace and to build the country. We lost everything. We need economic support. At the same time we need political support and to start the peace process. We are waiting for the results of the Bonn Conference and for a chance for the Afghan people. It won’t work if the foreign countries stay for a long time because we want our freedom but, at the moment, they are welcome. This time we feel that they are coming to work for peace and we trust them. Now we ask how much they are listening to us”.

And, as ever, Fatana Gailani is still working amongst her people, as head of the Afghanistan Women’s Council – although, right now, her aim of social equality is not at the forefront of her activities.

“At the moment”, she explains, “the most important things are safety, law, clothes, food, medicine, shelter. At the same time we want to teach them but it is not easy for Afghan women to go straight from 23 years of war to democracy. We are working step by step towards equality but safety is first. The majority of Afghan women are widows and they are just thinking about food for their children”.

Her determination is clear.

“We are fighting for practical things, then gradually equality will come. They have lost their dignity, they have lost their rights but equality will come."