On Saturday night, the Medical Science building auditorium was filled with people who came to see the well known British journalist Yvonne Ridley talk about her 10-day experience as a Taliban captive. Ridley, who crossed the Afghanistan border illegally while on assignment, was captured by the Taliban on Sept. 28, 2001. What followed then was a 10 day, nerve-wrecking experience that changed her life forever. During her stay in Afghanistan she came to realize the futility of war, and despite being a prisoner, Ridley says she was treated with “courtesy and respect.”
In an event that was organized by the Students for World Justice, a committee to the Muslim Students’ Association, Ridley also came to talk about the war in Afghanistan, and the current situation between the US and Iraq. While speaking of her personal experience, she was very relaxed and at times humourous, however the mood changed quickly as she began talking about the current state of Afghanistan and the situation with Iraq. “The war in Afghanistan was a complete failure and Iraq will be the same,” said Ridley. She also said that the idea of US President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair liberating people was “incredulous.”
Ridley stated on numerous occasions that America is not a nation builder and that Afghanistan was left in chaos after their intervention.
As the lecture was coming to a close, Ridley also had some words for Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell. “Colin Powell is an inveterate liar and you can’t believe a word he says,” claimed Ridley. As for Bush, she referred to him as “an unelected man sitting in the White House.” The crowd’s response was very positive. Ridley also suggested that perhaps they should send the UN inspection team in for the next US presidential election to make sure Americans get the democracy they deserve.
The Varsity also had the chance to catch up with Ridley, and when asked about the purpose of her lecture, she responded, “I want the people to go away and spread the word, and join the biggest superpower in the world today, which is not America. It is the ant-war movement.” She also said, “We do have a chance to stop this war. People have had enough of America’s foreign policy and its intentions—full spectrum dominance.”Ultimately, judging by the reactions of the people in attendance, the lecture turned out to be a great success and it also served its purpose of raising awareness. Ridley is currently very close to embracing Islam, and during her lecture, she had a lot of good things to say about the religion and its people.
