Friday, Nov. 22, 2002

Series to Discuss Women of Afghanistan

By Kristin Casale
Collegian Staff Writer

Webster's Bookstore Café, 128 S. Allen St., will be hosting a lecture series about women in Afghanistan at noon, 2 and 7 p.m. today.

The series, "Women for Afghan Women: Shattering the Myths and Claiming the Future" will be headed by author and editor Sunita Mehta. It will include slides and readings from her book of the same name.

Jennifer Fluri (graduate-geography and women's studies), the student who organized the event, said she heard Mehta speak before, and is looking forward to hearing Mehta speak again.

"She's one of those women you're just floored by when you meet her," she said.

Mehta, who edited the book, is the co-founder of Women for Afghan Women, and works with several other organizations.

Women for Afghan Women is a group based in New York focused on helping ensure the rights of women in Afghanistan.

In the book Women for Afghan Women a different woman writes each chapter. Two of the contributing writers, Lina Pallota and Homaira Mamoor, will also be at the lectures to discuss their involvement with the organization.

Pallota is a photographer who will be presenting a slide show of pictures she took of women in Afghanistan.

Mamoor was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. She left the country at age 3 and has since become an activist for women of Afghanistan.

Fluri said part of the lectures would also be about fund raising in addition to education.

"They're bringing all the copies of their own book," Fluri said. "All the proceeds from the sales will go to helping Afghan women."

The lectures will discuss misconceptions of women and Islam, the corruption of the religion by fundamentalists, and the complexities of American and Afghan relations, she said.

She said the discussions want to show "women are agents of their own change."

Fluri came to Webster's co-owner Elaine Meder with the idea to present the talks.

"I really didn't know anything about it," Meder said of the talks. "She came to me, and I said, 'Great.' "

Fluri got involved with Women for Afghan Women after hearing a lecture in New York City.

"I contacted them asking how I could help, and they said, if you really want to help, then getting these talks together would be the best way," Fluri said.

Webster's employee Matt Stullken hopes the lectures will make an impact on people.

"I think the speech will be very positive," Stullken said. "It will hopefully clear up a lot of stereotypes about women, their plight in Afghanistan and Islam."

More information about how to get involved with Women for Afghan Women can be obtained by contacting Jennifer Fluri at jlf18@psu.edu or by accessing womenforafghanwomen.org.