Behind the Burqa

Advance Praise for Behind the Burqa “Whenever and wherever adults make war, children die and women are subjected to fear and humiliation. This is true of Afghanistan too. Read this harrowing book. The tragic yet heroic tale of two women is told with great simplicity. They will haunt you.” -Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate “The stories of Sulima and Hala achingly articulate the twin and enduring legacies of misogyny and violence. A critical historical document, Behind the Burqa ultimately reveals the unbreakable strength of Afghan women.” -Eve Ensler, author of The Vagina Monologues Founder and Artistic Director, V-Day “Behind the Burqa provides important information about conditions in Afghanistan, as well as the plight of asylum-seekers in the United States. I highly recommend this book to all people who are concerned about human rights, both at home and abroad.” -Senator Sam Brownback, (R. Kansas) ranking member, Immigration Subcommittee, Committee on the Judiciary “This book is a gripping reading experience, and it also offers important suggestions for those who would like to participate in making our asylum politics more humane.“
-Eleanor Acer, Director, Asylum Program, Lawyers Committee for Human Rights “This book shows the injustices suffered by innocent women seeking asylum in the U. S. and the power of religious faith to provide hope and courage even in prison.” -Fauziya Kassindja, author of Do They Hear You When You Cry “Sulima and Hala epitomize the worldwide struggle of women for equality and justice. Their story is gripping and illuminating.” -Jessica Neuwirth, President of Equality Now

Author Biography

BATYA SWIFT YASGUR is a freelance writer of both nonfiction and fiction. She won the 1995 Mystery Writers of America’s Robert L. Fish Award for Best First Published Story and the Coalition of Alternatives in Jewish Education’s David Dornstein Memorial Creative Writing Award for short fiction. She is the author of America: A Freedom Country (published by the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service), the project through which she met Hala, one of the sisters whose story is told in Behind the Burqa. She is also the coauthor of Women at Risk, a book about cervical cancer and the HPV virus.