Malalai Joya, June 1, 2019
I deeply grieve the passing of Prof. Matthias Tomzack who was an honest and kind friend to Afghan people.
I am honored to have met this noble anti-war and anti-oppression activist who was a strong supporter and cooperator of oppressed Afghan women. I consider his loss a huge toll for the people of Afghanistan. German-Australian Matthias Tomczak had donated much of his personal income and time since 2004 to suffering women and children of Afghanistan. He also tirelessly collected fund for educational and health centers of Afghan girls and women. He even donated the tittle money he had inherited.
Matthias was against war and the terrorist-fostering policies of the US/NATO invaders in Afghanistan, so he started to serve Afghans through practical initiatives.
He was a progressive and conscious personality. Matthias gathered his companions in Australia and created a group called “Support Association for the Women of Afghanistan” (SAWA). Through this, he raised funds by selling products made by Afghan women and other organizing different campaigns. This was one of his several initiatives to empower Afghan women and to raise awareness on the plight of Afghan women.
Although Matthias had cancer for several years, he enthusiastically continued his services and wrote to his Afghan friends even days before passing away.
He used to publish a publication called SAWAN, via which he was aimed to raise awareness in Australia about the catastrophic situation and current realities in Afghanistan. In May 2019 issue of SAWAN, he shared the sad news about his critical situation and not being able to continue his work.
My deepest condolences to his wife, son and colleagues. I hope we can keep his memory forever alive by continuing in his footsteps and following his shining example as a progressive humanitarian.