We, AAAWA (Afghan American Artists and Writers Association), a NYC based group condemn the March 11th massacre of innocent Afghans in the village of Panjwai, Kandahar province. We demand a full investigation of the events and full disclosure of all information. The US Army’s explanation that a lone mad gunman was responsible is unacceptable not only because it is not in keeping with witness accounts but also because it evades the larger problem.
As recent incidences of Quran-burning, Kill Team, and urinating on the bodies of deceased Afghans demonstrate, this tragic killing of innocent Afghan villagers is endemic of the institutionalized racism and Islamophobia that is embedded in the overall culture of war that the US Army breeds in Afghanistan. There is a general lack of cross-cultural understanding and cultural sensitivity whereby Afghans are dehumanized.
We demand that the US Army take full responsibility and accountability, charge all those implicated in the chain of command (not only low-level army personnel like the cases in Iraq and Guantanamo), and pay reparations to the families of the victims. The army also must re-assess its failed counter-insurgency policies of launching aerial bombings and night raids against small villages which has caused the loss of innocent lives. This policy will only create more support for the Taliban and other extremists. We are calling for respect for the lives, dignity, and culture of Afghan people.
Signed,
Wazhmah Osman
Sedika Mojadidi
Sahar Muradi
Laimah Osman
Zohra Saed
Najila Naderi
Afghan American Artists and Writers Association 
Feel Free to Add Signatures here in Support of our Letter:
Signed,
Anuradha D. Kowolik
Mizhgan Rasoul
-Signed
I support your letter.
So shameless an act of terrorism by the very people there to eradicate it.
l support your letter
Despicable that we even have to sign this. Regardless of signatures, our leaders need to act on these acts of terror.
Afifa Yusufi –signed
Freshta Isci-signed
I support this letter. Once again it seems the U.S. military is using a tried and true formula for justifying their escalating presence in a region of the world that is being used as a platform for war profiteering. That formula is the killing,torture,harassment or false imprisonment of civilians of that region, which creates a backlash. That backlash is then used as a justification for more violence,more troops,greater involvement,more death,more arms and greater expenditures which turns into greater profits for the corporations who receive funding through government contracts,all of which serve to destabilize the region and keep the war machine moving. We need to all stand up for the rights of Afghani people and put an end to this shameful and senseless killing by demanding an investigation and change in policy regarding the U.S. and Afghanistan.
Omar Nehan-Signed
Ebru Isci
– Signed.
Signed,
Abosede George
How did he leave and then enter back without anyone knowing ? Clearly others were involved.
Signed,
Rhafik Aminy
Signed,
Zuhra Zaheer
Eda Ayaz
– Signed
Thanks for the inititive.
Signed, Joann M. Humburg
I am disgusted by the massacre and disgusted by the media neglect in covering the story. If this had happened in the US, we’d have minute by minute updates on the news channels.
I wholeheartedly support your letter.
Signed… 😦
:.(
signed
I support your letter.
Signed, Fatemeh Ahmadi
signed. i support you
I support this letter. We need justice for innocent Afghan people.
I support this letter and stand with my fellow Afghan brothers and sisters to bring justice for those not just these 16 innocent people that where killed recently, but also for the other innocent women, children and men that have been killed in the past 10 years. Its about time we stand up for those who were murdered. To be what is the difference between what this American Solder did and what the Al-Qadia did in 9/11. To be this too is was a terrorist act. We need to stand up and make it clear finally that we Afghans were not a part of 9/11. We were not the ones involved with those deaths that happen that day. 9/11 happened by an Arab not Afghan. Why are we paying the price for what others did and are doing. When Afghanistan needed a helping hand during the Soviet war and right after during the civil war, no one was there to lend us a helping hand. America sat back and watched ,England sat back and watched. 30 years and Afghanistan is still in a war and our people are still dying each day. This was not done alone. No way can a lone solder get out of his base and walk with his gear and kill 16 people and have time to shoot them, burn them, and stomp them. You can only do all of that if there is more then one person helping out. I think the American Government things we all (Afghans) are as stupid as karzai. We want the maxim punishment given to him and others that helped him.
Signed, shahla amirzada
Akin isci-sign
Wazhma Sadat
Signed
Signed
As an Afghan citizen I support this letter.
Signed, Leila Nadir
signed, homayra elsayed
Noor Javid, signed
I am the author of my self published book, “Lifting the Chaderi” at Amazon
I am so amazed that we have all these talented artists and writers would like to be part of it.
Please let me know how I could get involved.
Olianisa