Suhaila Seddiqi
Encyclopedia
General
Suhaila Seddiqi (born 1939), often referred to as General Suhaila, is a retired politcian
from Afghanistan
. She served as the Minister of Public Health from December 2001 to around 2008. Prior to that she worked as a surgeon general
in the military of Afghanistan
.
As a government minister, she is sometimes given the treatment Honorable before her name. Seddiqi is one of several female government leaders in Afghanistan, and is the only woman in Afghanistan to hold the title
of general
. She has been working for the government of Afghanistan since King Zahir Shah
's reign.
, Afghanistan
. She belongs to the royal Mohammadzai Pashtun
lineage although some western media sources (i.e. BBC News
) mistakenly described her as an ethnic Tajik.
After completing high school, she attended Kabul Medical University
but completed her medical studies at Moscow State University
in what was then the Soviet Union
.
(1987-1992), Saddiqi was given the rank of surgeon general
. She was the chief of surgery at the main Kabul hospital in Wazir Akbar Khan
before and after the Taliban
.
After the removal of the Taliban government from Afghanistan by the United States
and British Armed Forces
, Seddiqi was appointed as the Minister of Public Health and sworn in by Interim President
Hamid Karzai
. One of her first acts was to request help from the international community for the establishment a medical work force of women. She met a team from the World Health Organization
(WHO) that was sent to the war-torn country to assess it health needs, and said that the training of Afghan women is key because they are a crucial asset in the health system.
Suhaila Seddiq is considered a heroine from the Taliban period by many feminists. She was one of very few women who successfully refused to wear the burka
. She is quoted as saying, "When the religious
police came with their canes and raised their arms to hit me, I raised mine to hit them back. Then they lowered their arms and let me go."
The following is a list of a few of the publicized activities of Suhaila Seddiq as minister:
Surgeon General
Surgeon General may refer to:* Surgeon-General * Surgeon General of the United States* State Surgeon General* Surgeon General of the United States Army* Surgeon General of the United States Navy...
Suhaila Seddiqi (born 1939), often referred to as General Suhaila, is a retired politcian
Politics of Afghanistan
The politics of Afghanistan consists of the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly, with a president serving as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the military. The nation is currently led by the Karzai administration under President Hamid Karzai who is backed by two vice...
from Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. She served as the Minister of Public Health from December 2001 to around 2008. Prior to that she worked as a surgeon general
Surgeon General
Surgeon General may refer to:* Surgeon-General * Surgeon General of the United States* State Surgeon General* Surgeon General of the United States Army* Surgeon General of the United States Navy...
in the military of Afghanistan
Military of Afghanistan
The military of Afghanistan is composed of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Army Air Force . Being a landlocked country, Afghanistan has no navy, and the private security forces who are sometimes seen wearing military uniforms are not part of Afghanistan's military...
.
As a government minister, she is sometimes given the treatment Honorable before her name. Seddiqi is one of several female government leaders in Afghanistan, and is the only woman in Afghanistan to hold the title
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
of general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
. She has been working for the government of Afghanistan since King Zahir Shah
Mohammed Zahir Shah
Mohammed Zahir Shah was the last King of Afghanistan, reigning for four decades, from 1933 until he was ousted by a coup in 1973...
's reign.
Early life and education
Suhaila Seddiqi was born in KabulKabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. She belongs to the royal Mohammadzai Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
lineage although some western media sources (i.e. BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
) mistakenly described her as an ethnic Tajik.
After completing high school, she attended Kabul Medical University
Kabul Medical University
Kabul Medical University is located in Kabul, Afghanistan on the campus of Kabul University. The medical institution was initially maintained by collaboration with the Turkish and French sponsors. KMF developed into a single autonomous University in 2005...
but completed her medical studies at Moscow State University
Moscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
in what was then the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Careers
During the government of Mohammad NajibullahMohammad Najibullah
Mohammad Najibullah Ahmadzai , originally merely Najibullah, was the fourth and last President of the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. He is also considered the second President of the Republic of Afghanistan.-Early years:Najibullah was born in August 1947 to the Ahmadzai...
(1987-1992), Saddiqi was given the rank of surgeon general
Surgeon General
Surgeon General may refer to:* Surgeon-General * Surgeon General of the United States* State Surgeon General* Surgeon General of the United States Army* Surgeon General of the United States Navy...
. She was the chief of surgery at the main Kabul hospital in Wazir Akbar Khan
Wazir Akbar Khān
Wazir Akbar Khān is a neighbourhood in northern Kabul, Afghanistan. It is the wealthiest area in Kabul. Many embassies are located, including the U.S. and Canadian. Wazir Akbar Khān is also home to the Kabul International Airport....
before and after the Taliban
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was founded in 1996 when the Taliban began their rule of Afghanistan and ended with their fall from power in 2001...
.
After the removal of the Taliban government from Afghanistan by the United States
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
and British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
, Seddiqi was appointed as the Minister of Public Health and sworn in by Interim President
President of Afghanistan
Afghanistan has only been a republic between 1973 and 1992 and from 2001 onwards. Before 1973, it was a monarchy that was governed by a variety of kings, emirs or shahs...
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
. One of her first acts was to request help from the international community for the establishment a medical work force of women. She met a team from the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO) that was sent to the war-torn country to assess it health needs, and said that the training of Afghan women is key because they are a crucial asset in the health system.
Suhaila Seddiq is considered a heroine from the Taliban period by many feminists. She was one of very few women who successfully refused to wear the burka
Burka
A burka is a dress made from felt or karakul . Karakul being quite expensive, burkas were usually sewn from felt treated to look like karakul...
. She is quoted as saying, "When the religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
police came with their canes and raised their arms to hit me, I raised mine to hit them back. Then they lowered their arms and let me go."
The following is a list of a few of the publicized activities of Suhaila Seddiq as minister:
- In April 2002, Seddiq oversaw the vaccinationVaccinationVaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens...
of about 6 million Afghan children against polio on behalf of the United Nations Children's FundUnited Nations Children's FundUnited Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
. - In July 2002, Seddiq met with a Chinese delegation who have agreed to fund renovationRenovationRenovation is the process of improving a structure. Two prominent types of renovations are commercial and residential.-Process:The process of a renovation, however complex, can usually be broken down into several processes...
of what is promised to be Afghanistan's most modern hospital. - In November 2006, Seddiq presented a speech on AIDSAIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
in Afghanistan to Eurasianet in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.