Shinkai Karokhail was born and raised in the heart of Afghanistan politics. I would like to share with the readers what I have come to know about her.

Serving as the Afghan Ambassador in Canada is only the most recent of Ms. Karokhail’s many achievements. She was elected twice to the Lower House of the Afghan Parliament. Prior to that, Ms. Karokhail was an active member of the Afghan civil society. Her work has had a positive impact in 11 provinces of Afghanistan, which include Punjshir, Bamiyan, Balkh and the most deprived provinces in South Eastern Afghanistan.

During her Parliamentary tenure, she safeguarded the rights of Shia women within Shiite Personal Law. Her passion and dedication for the country andher unique inclusive vision for Afghanistan stand in contrast to many other diplomats abroad and politician inside country, who only align with their own narrow Jihaadi or ethnocentric vision. ­­

Those who question Ms. Karokhail’s educational background ought to know she hasa degree from Katib University in Political Science. She also has a diploma in English Literature from the National Institute of Modern Languages in Islamabad, Pakistan. Although she completed her medical degree at Kabul University, she never claimed the professional title, unlike other politicians who use titles such as Engineer and Doctor without possessing the educational background.

Contrary to the rumours that have been spread about her, she has achieved a lot in the short seven months she has spent as Ambassador in Canada. She had to renovate a crumbling Afghan Embassy building, which was on the brink of collapse from severe structural damage. She also had to work extensively to create transparency where there was none before, particularly in the consular services payment system. Ms. Karokhail, not only inherited a structurally weak Embassy but also weak relations with the Afghan Diaspora community and the Ottawa Diplomat circle. She had to spend months building rapport with Afghans in Canada, who for the first time had the opportunity to engage with an Afghan Ambassador.

Unfortunately for Ms. Karokhail, there are certain circles of influence within Afghanistan who are opposed to President Ashraf Ghani’s enlightened reforms, including gender balance in the Afghan Diplomatic Corp. I urge those who are knowingly or unknowingly part of the conspiracy against Ambassador Karokhail to do their due diligence in researching her background before spreading propaganda against her. A simple google search would disprove all of their allegations.Those who question her ability to speak English can read about herintroduction of Hillary Clinton at a Crisis Group event in 2014 or her acceptance speech at the East West Institute, where she was awarded the first-ever H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak for Values-based Leadership.

Those who are so quick to rush to judgement against Ms. Karokhail, questioning her eligibility to serve as Ambassador or her English language skills, should also take the time to look at the countless diplomats serving in Afghan Embassies in Europe. These diplomats received their posts through the backing of powerbrokers in Afghanistan and unlike Ms. Karokhail do not have the language literacy needed to serve in the country they are posted in. Why is it that no one is calling their appointments into question?

Lastly, on behalf of the larger part ofthe Afghan community in the UK, I just want to thank Ms. Karokhail for her dedication and service to her country.We want her to be steadfast while she fights this character assassination and addresses these temporary obstacles. As an Afghan woman, she also already defied so many odds to get to where she is and she will continue to do so.

View expressed in this article are of the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Pajhwok’s editorial policy.

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