Qadria Yazdanparast
| Qadria Yazdanparast قدریه یزدان پرست | |
|---|---|
| Born | Qadria Ibrahim Yazdanparast |
| Nationality | Afghan |
| Occupation | Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commissioner |
| Known for | Politics |
Qadria Ibrahim Yazdanparast (in Persian: قدریه یزدان پرست) is an Afghan politician and a commissioner at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. Before start working in the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission she resigned from her leadership position of the Jamiaat E Islami Afghanistan (Islamic Society of Afghanistan) in order to fulfill the requirement of a commissioner to be non political.It is to be said that the Jamiaat e Islami is the biggest political party in the history of Afghanistan. She started her career during the Soviet war in Afghanistan. She studied Jurisprudence and Political science at Kabul University. Qadria Yazdanparast can speak Pashto, Dari, Dutch and English.
Political and social career
After the fall of the Communist regime, president Burhanuddin Rabbani appointed her to director of the Feminist movement that preceded the Afghan Ministry of Women's Affairs. During the war against the Taliban, she fled to the northern part of the country, which was controlled by the United Islamic Front, also known as the 'Northern Alliance'. There she was able to keep her function and she continued her job. She was president of the law school in Mazar-i-Sharif and she organised an international conference on women's rights in Afghanistan.
After the fall of Mazar-i-Sharif, she asked for asylum in the Netherlands, where she settled in Rotterdam and started a study.
After the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, Qadria Yazdanparast returned to her birth ground and she could get a seat in the National Assembly of Afghanistan where she was elected as chairwomen of Human Rights commission. She became a known person in Afghan "behind the doors" politics, having relations with different political groups. During her time in Parliament some she was known as being a bridge between formal Jihadi rivals. She has brought in several law proposals. The law 'Action on Violence against Women' was her initiative.
Controversies
As a "strong Jihadi" figure and having a leadership position in the Jamiaat party she has good ties with former Jihadi leaders and commanders like Ismail Khan, Marshall Mohammad Qasim fahim, Burhanuddin Rabbani, Rasool Sayyaf and others. According to critiques that the reason why she should never have been appointed as a human rights commissioner. However Yazdanparast rejects that her responsibilities might be influenced by the ties she has with powerful figures and promotes herself of having a history of fighting for human rights.
Former Positions
- Leadership position of The Jamiaat Party
- Leader of Afghan Women High Association
- Legal Advisor of former vice President
- Presidential Adviser
- Member of Afghan Parliament
- Law professor at the University of Kabul
Other functions
Yazdanparast has had several other positions:
- President of the 'Oldtown Kabul Committee': a committee that was founded by president Karzai to preserve the old city of Kabul
- Legal Advisor
- Writer and poet
Actual situation
Currently Qadria Yazdanparast is a commissioner in the Afghanistan Independent Human Right Commission.