Fawzia Koofi

Nadene Ghouri

The nineteenth daughter of a local village leader in rural Afghanistan, Fawzia Koofi was left to die in the sun after birth by her mother. But she survived, and perseverance in the face of extreme hardship has defined her life ever since. Despite the abuse of her family, the exploitative Russian and Taliban regimes, the murders of her father, brother, and husband, and numerous attempts on her life, she rose to become the first Afghani woman Parliament speaker. Here, she shares her amazing story, punctuated by a series of poignant letters she wrote to her two daughters before each political trip—letters describing the future and freedoms she dreamed of for them and for all the women of Afghanistan. Koofi's New York Times bestseller, The Favored Daughter, movingly captures the political and cultural moment in Afghanistan, a country caught between the hope of progress and the bitter truth of history.

One Woman's Fight to Lead Afghanistan into the Future

The Favored Daughter

In this courageous memoir, Fawzia Koofi, Afghanistan's most popular female politician, gives us her first-hand account of Afghan history through the rule of the Mujahedeen and Taliban, her experiences of the Afghanistan War, and the effects of these events on the lives of women in Afghanistan. In writing Letters to My Daughters, Fawzia has created a fresh take on Afghan society and Islam, and a gripping account of a life lived under the most harrowing of circumstances. Fawzia is the nineteenth child of twenty-three in a family with seven wives. Her father was an incorruptible politician strongly attached to Afghan tradition. When he was murdered by the Mujahedeen, Fawzia's illiterate mother escaped with her children and decided to send the ten-year-old Fawzia to school. As the civil war raged, Fawzia dodged bullets and snipers to attend class, determined to be the first person in her family to receive an education. Fawzia went on to marry a man she loved, and they had two cherished daughters, Shohra and Shaharzad. Sadly, the arrival of the Taliban spelled an end to Fawzia's freedom. Outraged and deeply saddened by the injustice she saw around her, and by the tainting of her Islamic faith, she discovered politics for herself, following in her father's footsteps. Tragically, this choice has lead to security threats to her life by Islamic extremists. Thus, Letters to My Daughters is not only a record of her life, but also acts as a literal letter through which Fawzia can pass on her wisdom about justice and dignity to her daughters, not knowing for how long she will survive such attacks.

A Memoir

Letters to My Daughters

Zhongjian Zhang

章忠建

In the vein of Infidel comes this spellbinding memoir of survival and courage from Afghanistan's most popular female politician. On the day Fawzia Koofi was born, her mother set her under the blazing Afghan sun to die. She was the nineteenth child of twenty-three in a family with seven wives, and her mother did not want another daughter. Despite severe burns that lasted into her teenage years, Fawzia survived and became the favourite child. In Letters to My Daughters , Fawzia tells her remarkable life story. Fawzia 's father was an incorruptible politician strongly attached to Afghan tradition.

给女儿的17封告别信

我不要你死于一事无成

Nadene Gourhi

La inspiradora historia de la política más popular de Afganistán. La política está en la sangre de los Koofi. El padre de Fawzia fue miembro del parlamento durante veinticinco años y un político muy apegado a la tradición afgana. Cuando fue asesinado su madre, analfabeta, decidió mandarla al colegio. Mientras la guerra civil se recrudecía Fawzia destacaba en clase y terminaba sus estudios de medicina. Se casó con el hombre al que amaba y tuvieron dos hijas muy queridas: Shuhra y Shaharzad. La llegada de los talibanes puso fin a estas libertades de forma trágica. Su marido fue torturado y tras su muerte Fawzia descubrió la política. En 2005 fue elegida para el parlamento. Tuvo el cargo de portavoz de la cámara baja de la Asamblea Nacional de Afganistán, fue nominada en 2009 al premio a la Líder Joven Global del Foro Económico Mundial y ahora es la representante de la provincia de Badakhshan. La situación de incertidumbre a la que hace frente cada día la ha llevado a escribir cartas a sus dos hijas antes de salir de casa, ya que no sabe si volverá con vida. En Cartas a mis hijas Fawzia Koofi nos cuenta en primera persona la historia de Afganistán marcada por las leyes de los muyahidín y de los talibanes, y su experiencia en la guerra y las consecuencias que aquellos trágicos acontecimientos tuvieron en las mujeres de su país. Cuadernos de Memoria es la colección de memoirs de Aguilar. Testimonios de vida, historias de superación o realidades en primera persona que mueven al lector y lo transforman. Historias reales que se leen como una novela. La crítica ha dicho... «La memoir de Fawzia Koofi se lee como una novela# Sus palabras albergan el sonido de la pasión y del compromiso de una vida que parece haber sido vivida más allá de su tiempo# No es tanto la historia de su vida como la historia de amor y de esperanza para sus hijas y para su país» Geist «Cartas a mis hijas recoge el testimonio de una mujer musulmana practicante que alcanzó la mayoría de edad con los talibanes en el poder. Los detalles extraordinarios de su vida quedan reflejados en una serie de cartas que escribe a sus dos hijas: Shuhra y Shaharzad» More Magazine. «Cartas a mis hijas es la impresionante y conmovedora historia del viaje de una mujer a través de su vida en Afganistán, el país que ama» Fast Forward Weekly «La mañana en que escribí la primera carta a mis hijas debía asistir a una reunión política en Badakhshan. Ese día me advirtieron de que no viajara: los talibanes planeaban matarme. Desperté a mi hija mayor y le dije que si no regresaba debía leer esta carta a su hermana pequeña. Tuve miedo pero no podía ni puedo defraudar a mi gente» Fawzia Koofi

Cartas a mis hijas. La historia de la parlamentaria afgana que ha desafiado a los talibanes

"Até no dia em que nasci esperavam que morresse. Afinal eu era ""apenas uma rapariga""... Minhas queridas filhas, Hoje vou tratar de assuntos políticos em Faizabad e Darwaz. Espero regressar a casa em breve, mas tenho de vos avisar de que isso pode não acontecer. Ameaçaram matar-me nesta viagem.Quero que saibam que tudo o que faço é para que vocês sejam livres de viver as vossas vidas e de sonhar os vossos sonhos. Se me matarem e não voltar a ver-vos, quero que se lembrem disto. Sejam corajosas. Não tenham medo de nada na vida. Hoje pode ser o dia da minha morte. Se isso acontecer, por favor, pensem que servi um propósito. Sintam sempre orgulho em tentar ajudar as pessoas e fazer do nosso país e do nosso mundo um lugar melhor. Um beijo para as duas.Amo-vos. A vossa mãe Mulher, mãe, deputada e candidata às eleições presidenciais do Afeganistão, Fawzia viu o pai e o marido morrerem lutando por um país melhor. Essa luta é também a sua. Mas, tal como eles, ela é um alvo a abater. Cada uma das cartas que escreve às suas filhas nasce do receio de não as voltar a ver mas também da esperança num futuro melhor.Às Minhas Filhas, com Amor... é uma herança feita de palavras e actos de coragem que é um retrato de uma mulher a todos os níveis admirável."

Fawzia Koofi

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