Walking the Precipice : Witness to the Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan

__Walking the Precipice__ gives a succinct, readable account through a woman’s eyes of the rise of the Taliban in war-torn Afghanistan. This is a personal report about a country at the heart of the “War on Terror.” In 1990, activist and grandmother Barbara Bick, age sixty-five, traveled with a women’s delegation to Afghanistan for what she thought would be her last great adventure. Instead, while the Mujahideen shelled Kabul, Bick forged deep friendships with her Afghan hosts. In the ensuing years, she watched with horror as the Taliban took over Afghanistan and instituted its fiercely anti-woman policies. In 2001, Bick returned to Afghanistan, this time to even more dangerous terrain: the region dominated by the Northern Alliance, the anti-Taliban militia. She was their guest at a compound where Ahmad Shah Massoud, their leader, was also staying, and was there on September 9 when Taliban infiltrators assassinated him prior to the al Qaeda attacks on the United States. Bick returned to Afghanistan one last time, in 2004, to see how women were faring under the new government. __Walking the Precipice__ gives new insight into the people, politics, and culture of a country that should be on everyone’s “watch list.” A longtime peace and human rights activist, **Barbara Bick** has worked for Women Strike for Peace, NEGAR-Support of Women of Afghanistan, the Institute for Policy Studies, the Institute of Women’s Policy Research, and the National Conference of State and Local Public Policies.

a Human Rights Activist In Afghanistan Witnesses The Start Of The War On Terror.

publishers Weekly

starred Review.

bick's Enthralling Memoirs Of Her Time In Afghanistan Begin With Her First Travels In 1990, At The Age Of 65, And Continue Through Two More Visits, Which Gave The American Activist And Author (culture And Politics) The Rare Opportunity To Experience Afghanistan Under The Communist, Taliban And Karzai Regimes. While There, Bick Traveled With A Number Of Afghan Women, Learning About Their Complex Role In Society, And Developing A Keen Grasp Of The Fluid Political Rivalries. Bick's Final Trip Was To Attend A Conference Affirming The Constitutional Rights Of Afghan Women, A First, Ceremonial Step Toward Instigating Positive Change For Women Throughout The War-torn Country. In Her Tale, Bick Produces A Comprehensive Political History Of Modern Afghanistan That Distills Deeply Rooted Tribal Conflicts Into Terms Americans Can Easily Grasp. While Tracing Her Journey From The Outside In, She Makes Her Readers Insiders Too-without Shying Away From The Drastic Changes In Perspective She Gained On The Way; In One Of Her Most Compelling And Emotional Episodes, Bick Is Witness To The Assassination Of Moderate Mujahadeen Leader Ahmed Shah Massoud, A Regional Hero For Many. By The End Of The Short But Dense Narrative, Readers Will Have A Far Greater Understanding Of The Region And The Stakes Under Which Its People Labor.
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An “enthralling” memoir of a woman who risked her life to help a people under siege and a country caught between freedom and oppression (Publishers Weekly—starred review). In 1990, sixty-five-year-old activist and grandmother Barbara Bick traveled with a women’s delegation to Afghanistan for what she thought would be her last great adventure. Instead, Bick forged deep friendships with her Afghan hosts—only to watch in horror as the Taliban took over most of the country and instituted fiercely anti-woman policies. Eleven years later, at age 76, Bick returned to Afghanistan, travelling to the region controlled by the Northern Alliance, an anti-Taliban militia. In early September 2001, Bick walked out of a compound where militia leader Ahmad Shah Massoud was also staying. Minutes later, Taliban infiltrators assassinated Massoud—a prelude to the al Qaeda attacks on the United States. As the US government became deeply involved in Afghanistan, Bick decided to return once again to see how women were faring under the new government. In 2004, she was one of the few Western women able to bring years of experience to understanding the country’s trauma. Walking the Precipice gives new insight into the people, politics, and culture of a country that is on everyone’s radar—for its beauty, and for its tragic place history. An “enthralling” memoir of a woman who risked her life to help a people under siege and a country caught between freedom and oppression ( Publishers Weekly —starred review). In 1990, sixty-five-year-old activist and grandmother Barbara Bick traveled with a women’s delegation to Afghanistan for what she thought would be her last great adventure. Instead, Bick forged deep friendships with her Afghan hosts—only to watch in horror as the Taliban took over most of the country and instituted fiercely anti-woman policies. Eleven years later, at age 76, Bick returned to Afghanistan, travelling to the region controlled by the Northern Alliance, an anti-Taliban militia. In early September 2001, Bick walked out of a compound where militia leader Ahmad Shah Massoud was also staying. Minutes later, Taliban infiltrators assassinated Massoud—a prelude to the al Qaeda attacks on the United States. As the US government became deeply involved in Afghanistan, Bick decided to return once again to see how women were faring under the new government. In 2004, she was one of the few Western women able to bring years of experience to understanding the country’s trauma. Walking the Precipice gives new insight into the people, politics, and culture of a country that is on everyone’s radar—for its beauty, and for its tragic place history. An enthralling memoir of a woman who risked her life to help a people under siege and a country caught between freedom and oppression ( Publishers Weekly starred review). In 1990, sixty-five-year-old activist and grandmother Barbara Bick traveled with a womens delegation to Afghanistan for what she thought would be her last great adventure. Instead, Bick forged deep friendships with her Afghan hostsonly to watch in horror as the Taliban took over most of the country and instituted fiercely anti-woman policies. Eleven years later, at age seventy-six, Bick returned to Afghanistan, travelling to the region controlled by the Northern Alliance, an anti-Taliban militia. In early September 2001, Bick walked out of a compound where militia leader Ahmad Shah Massoud was also staying. Minutes later, Taliban infiltrators assassinated Massouda prelude to the al Qaeda attacks on the United States. As the US government became deeply involved in Afghanistan, Bick decided to return once again to see how women were faring under the new government. In 2004, she was one of the few Western women able to bring years of experience to understanding the countrys trauma. Walking the Precipice gives new insight into the people, politics, and culture of a country that is on everyones radarfor its beauty, and for its tragic place history. "In 1990, sixty-five year old Barbara Bick joined a peace delegation for what she thought would be her last great adventure, a trip to Afghanistan. Instead, Bick forged an intense commitment to the country, particularly after the Taliban came to power with its fiercely anti-woman policies. She returned in 2001, when most people her age wouldn't dream of trekking through the desolation northern regions of Afghanistan. And there, on September 9, she was a guest at the compound where Al Qaeda operatives assassinated the Taliban's main opponent just before their attack on the US. Bick returned to Afghanistan one last time, in 2003, for a women's constitutional convention, the culmination of the hopes and hard work of thousands of Afghan women"--Jacket. Content: Foreword Preface 1. Kabul, 1990 2. Against the Taliban, 1992-2000 3. Journey to the Land of the Mujahidin, 2001 4. Khoja Bahauddin 5. Faizabad 6. The Assassins 7. Kabul Redux, 2003 Chronology Timeline Declaration of the Essential Rights of Afghan Women NEGAR Petition: Statement of Support for the Declaration of the Essential Rights of Afghan Womenn Acknowledgments Kabul, 1990 Against the Taliban, 1992-2001 Journey to the land of the Mujaheddin Khoja Bahauddin Fairzabad The assassins My Afghan family, 2002 Kabul redux, 2003.